Queens Park Rangers 1
Mackie 81
Argyle 1
Summerfield pen 11
by RICK COWDERY
ARGYLE manager Peter Reid's understated observation that "we're getting there" after Wednesday's 1-0 victory at Hereford was franked by an eye-catching performance by the Pilgrims at Loftus Road 48 hours later.
Luke Summerfield's 11th-minute penalty, after Steve MacLean had been fouled in the process of finishing off Rory Fallon's headed through-ball, gave the Pilgrims the lead.
They held on to it for 70 minutes before Home Park old boy Jamie Mackie scored what can only be described as a typical Jamie Mackie goal, bustling his way on to a half-chance and slotting home from a difficult angle despite the attentions of Kári Árnason.
It was not so much the result against higher-grade opposition that raised hopes that improving pre-season form can be carried on to the opening npower League 1 match at Southampton next Saturday, but the sight of a squad obviously growing in confidence and ambition.
Much of the passing and movement was delightful; the commitment to the cause was reminiscent of cup-tie defending; and there was a courage and assurance about some of the decision-making. It was just a shame that the old failing of a lack of goals did not emphasise the effort in ,and quality of, the display.
Five of the Argyle starting line-up in Shepherd's Bush had begun on the substitutes' bench for the 1-0 victory at Hereford two days earlier.
Notable among the quintet was Stéphane Zubar, a defender from Guadelope lately plying his trade with SC Vaslui, in Romania's Liga 1. His brother, Ronald, played 23 times for Wolves in the Premier League last season.
Trialist Lee Molyneux was given a first start of this pre-season at left-back, while the match-winner at Hereford, MacLean partnered Fallon up front. Romain Larrieu was recalled in goal with trialist Colin Doyle on the bench.
There was a strong Argyle look to the Rangers' set-up, with last season's leading Pilgrims' scorer Mackie and Hungarian international midfielder Ákos Buzsáky being cajoled from a bench that included former manager Neil Warnock and his assistant Mick Jones.
Argyle started brightly and should have taken an early lead from Onismore Bhasera's eighth-minute corner.
The Zimbabwean's precise delivery to the near post was met by Kris Timár, who met the ball with a full-blooded header. Had the attempt been on target, it is doubtful whether goalkeeper Paddy Kenny would have had much of a chance, but it was not.
No matter, Argyle continued to press and were rewarded when MacLean was hauled down by Matthew Connolly in the penalty area as he raced on to Rory Fallon's inviting flick-on. Summerfield stepped up and became only the fourth Argyle player to find the net in pre-season, his penalty low and hard to Kenny's right.
The Pilgrims remained good value for their lead, but twice survived scares when they switched off to two Buzsáky set-pieces: a free-kick that was allowed to go all the way to the far post and across goal before being cleared; and a corner that was played short and ended with Patrick Agyemang poking the ball wide.
The best moves, though, came from Argyle, and Fallon was at the centre of a lot of them. He began the move that ended with a raking cross from Summerfield from the right wing that found the New Zealander's perceptive run for a header that was saved by Kenny at the foot of his post.
Doyle was one of four half-time substitutes made by Peter Reid, and he immediately showed his worth against an invigorated QPR by pawing away an on-target free-kick by Alejandro Faurlin.
Argyle responded with a quicksilver move that caught Rangers napping as Bhasera broke through and toed a lob over Kenny, who had rushed off his goal-line to meet the threat, and only just the wrong side of the post.
At the other end, Timár continued his pre-season renaissance with a massive tackle to deny Heidar Helguson on the edge of his six-yard box after Josh Parker crossed low and hard from the Rangers' right.
Fallon should have extended Argyle's lead midway through the second half when Chris Clark engineered a break for Yala Bolasie to cross. Fallon, whose marker Fitz Hall was lying injured in the centre of the pitch, was unmarked but sent his header wide.
That was the last we saw of Fallon as the inevitable slew of substitutions threatened to interrupt the game's flow.
One of the cast of extras, Craig Noone, nearly killed Kenny with an inswinging free-kick that the former Sheffield United man spilled, but the ball spewed out of his hands for a corner.
Argyle paid the price for earlier profligacy when Mackie squared the game, and the Pilgrims had to settle for a share of the spoils that was the least they deserved.
Queens Park Rangers: 1 Paddy Kenny; 2 Bradley Orr, 4 Matthew Connolly (16 Kaspar Gorkss half-time), 5 Fitz Hall (capt, 14 Peter Ramage 72), 3 Clint Hill; (12 Gary Borrowdale 85) 6 Mikele Leigertwood (17 Josh Parker half-time), 10 Ákos Buzsáky (18 Shaun Derry half-time), 11 Alejandro Faurlin; 8 Jamie Mackie, 9 Patrick Agyemang (20 Heidar Helguson half-time, 15 Antonio German 85), 7 Hogan Ephraim (19 A Trialist 78). Substitutes (not used): 13 Radek Cerny (gk).
Argyle: 1 Romain Larrieu (33 Colin Doyle half-time); 31 Stéphane Zubar (3 Bondz N'Gala half-time), 11 Kári Árnason (capt), 23 Krisztián Timár (18 Laurent Manuel 79), 28 Lee Molyneux (29 Jim Paterson 85); 20 Luke Summerfield (2 Karl Duguid half-time), 21 Anton Peterlin, 7 Damien Johnson (6 Chris Clark half-time), 15 Onismor Bhasera (17 Craig Noone 63); 32 Steve MacLean (19 Yannick Bolasie 63), 14 Rory Fallon (8 Rory Patterson 73). Substitutes (not used): 10 Bradley Wright-Phillips, 30 Marcel Seip.
Referee: Mick Russell (Hertfordshire).
