QUEENS PARK RANGERS 1 (Helguson 40 P)
BARNSLEY 0

A VERY soft penalty late in the first half ruined what had been a very promising opening 45 minutes for the Reds at a rain lashed Loftus Road.

The opening day of the season is always full of optimism although Mark Robins' new look Reds face a baptism of fire at the home of promotion hopefuls Queens Park Rangers. Barnsley's new boys were led by skipper Jason Shackell while Jay McEveley and Goran Lovre also featured from the start. Fellow new arrivals Jeronimo Neumann, after clearance came through in time; Michael Boulding and Liam Dickinson were on the bench. Kieran Trippier, who signed on loan for the Reds on Friday afternoon, was ineligible as the Club were waiting for the paperwork to be registered.

The only major change from last weekend's pre-season win at Chesterfield was a recall for Hugo Colace, who replaced Jacob Butterfield in the heart of the Reds midfield.

QPR handed debuts to Paddy Kenny, Bradley Orr, Clint Hill, Shaun Derry, Adel Taarabt and Jamie Mackie.

Although early August, the teams were greeted by a monsoon as kick off approached but the torrential rain did little to dampen the spirits of the thousands inside Loftus Road, including 800 or so Barnsley fans.

The home side fired the first shot in anger inside two minutes as Alejandro Faurlin blazed one high and wide after the Reds had cleared Orr's free kick.

The Reds were quickly on the break and Queens Park Rangers had to defend well from Martin Devaney and Bobby Hassell down the right flank. Stephen Foster the probably should have done better on five minutes as he met McEveley's corner but flashed a free header just wide of the post. It was a bright and confident start from the men in all red.

Foster was almost embarrassed on 13 minutes as he let Hill's long ball bounce and it skipped through to give Mackie a sight of goal but the Reds defender recovered to make a telling block. Rangers should have been in front seconds later as Heidar Helguson somehow managed to miss at the near post from Orr's corner. It was a free header for the striker but he put it over the top.

Taarabt forced Luke Steele into a fine save on 15 minutes with a rasping drive from 30 yards that the Reds number one managed to tip around the post.

Great play on the edge of the area by Hassell, Gray and Hammill gave Colace a great chance to strike one from 30 yards on 20 minutes and the Argentine was only inches away from finding the top corner with a great effort.

Steele was again in fine form on 25 minutes to turn Taarabt's effort away while Andy Gray was only a tight flag away from a clear run on goal ten minutes later.

Barnsley's good first half performance was thrown away in an instant on 39 minutes as Taarabt twisted and turned his way past Shackell and into the area before collapsing over Foster's legs just outside the six yard box. Foster was the wrong side but it was more a case of the midfielder looking for a penalty, which the referee rightly or wrongly gave. Helguson made no mistake from the spot.

The Reds were almost level in stoppage time as Kenny made a horrible mess of dealing with Hassell's free kick. The QPR keeper dropped an easy catch for Shackell to attack but the Reds skipper could only watch as his header smacked into the post and away.

Barnsley were through QPR again seconds later when Colace did well down the left to gift Hammill a great chance but the winger sliced his effort through the area. Devaney reacted quickest but could not direct his effort into the net.

QUEENS PARK RANGERS: Kenny, Orr, Hill, Derry, Hall (c), Taarabt, Helguson, Faurlin, Mackie, Gorkss, Ephraim.
Subs: Cerny, Leigertwood, Clarke, Connolly, Borrowdale, German, Parker.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Hassell, Foster, Shackell (c), McEveley, Devaney, Colace, Doyle, Hammill, Lovre, Gray.
Subs: Preece, Hume, Dickinson, Neumann, Butterfield, Boulding, Potter.

Referee
Mr JJ Linington
Assistant Referees
Mr A Davies and Mr RP Whitton
Fourth Official
Mr CJ Berry

Match Report by Rob Knowles