QPR 0-2 Rochdale

Rochdale progressed to the third round of the League Cup for the first time since reaching the final back in 1962 after knocking out Premier League Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road. Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro and Gary Jones scored either side of half time to seal Dale's passage to the next round and earn a first ever victory away from home against top flight opposition.

Dale manager Steve Eyre made three changes to the side that lost to Oldham on Saturday. Goalkeeper Jake Kean cannot play in Cup games under the terms of his loan agreement from Blackburn, Dave Lucas started. Neal Trotman's red card at Boundary Park ruled him out with loanee Pim Balkestein replaced. Jason Kennedy regained his place in the starting 11 with Joe Thompson dropping to the bench.

With the league campaign stuttering a little, Dale arrived at Loftus Road as underdogs against the Premier League new boys. Neil Warnock made 8 changes to the side that beat Everton on Saturday but the majority of his side were first team players.

Steve Eyre's side were quick out of the blocks and took the lead inside 5 minutes. Gary Jones played in Ashley Grimes who saw his shot parried by Murphy but the ball fell to Akpa-Akpro at the back post and the Frenchman slid the ball home from 6 yards.

Buoyed by the early goal, Dale pushed on looking for a second. Grimes fed Adams down the right with the number 11 turning the defender one way then the other but his cross lacked direction and Murphy gathered.

The game entered a lull with neither side testing the keepers until the 24th minute when Lucas was called into action. Fullback Connelly fired through a crowded area but the Dale stopper was alert to push it around the post.

As first half stoppage time was coming to an end, Warnock's side almost drew level. Lee Cook angled a drive from the right which was blocked by Lucas with Balkestein clearing as the whistle went for the interval.

The Rangers boss is well known for his managerial rants and I’m sure the home players were sent out with his voice ringing in their ears as they started the second half on the front foot. Adel Taarabt sent a menacing right wing free kick across the face of the Dale goal but it evaded everybody flying in. Taarabt saw two quick fire attempts at goal sail wide as the home side looked to level the tie.

The frenetic opening to the second half continued and the game opened up. Grimes beat the offside trap but fired weakly at Murphy whilst at the other end Jay Bothroyd had a header chalked off by a linesman’s flag. Adams broke from the free kick but Akpa-Akpro couldn’t get on the end of his centre.

Grimes thought he should have been awarded a penalty when Shittu appeared to pull back the striker but referee Langford waved away his appeals.

Lucas was called into action again when Balkestein’s clearing header only found substitute Michael Harriman but the defenders half volley was straight at the keeper.

Jean Louis Akpa-Akpro showed superb control from a long ball but his centre was over hit with Adams stretching in the area but to no avail.

The game was really beginning to open up as Warnock's side pushed for the equaliser which allowed Dale to hit them on the counter. With QPR committing men forward, Eyre's men broke with devastating effect with just 9 minutes remaining. Nicky Adams picked up inside the Rangers half and played in the on rushing Gary Jones, who on the angle, sent a deft lob over Murphy to put the icing on the Dale cake.

With Loftus Road emptying almost as quick as Dale's counter attacks, Akpa-Akpro almost put the cherry on top of icing with another breakaway but the Frenchman’s shot was a tired effort and he missed the target.

With the game almost up, the home side went close with a couple of efforts. Taarabt's right wing free-kick wasn’t clinically cleared by Jones with a Rangers player firing a low shot which Lucas got down to save but he was quickly to his feet to save a second shot from inside the 6 yard box and Holness cleared a 3rd off the line in a huge mêlée.

With last kick of the game, Lucas had to be at his best to claw away a Bothroyd looping header as the full time whistle went.

So Dale are through to the 3rd round of the League Cup with the Spotland faithful dreaming of a money spinning tie against Manchester United or Chelsea whilst Dale manager Steve Eyre will secretly be hoping for a certain City from Manchester.

An ecstatic Eyre spoke to the massed media: “I'm delighted to have won and beat somebody with Neil Warnock's reputation and experience. He's done over 1000 games, I’ve not done 1000 minutes yet. It wasn't me versus Neil Warnock but its a fantastic scalp for the club. We haven’t been able to play our passing game in recent games but once you have gone 1-0 up, we were able to do what we want to do and you saw the benefit of going a goal up.

“Pim Balkestein did really well although he was suffering from fatigue in the last 10 minutes but we couldn't bring him off. At that point in the game we were looking at everybody on the pitch and they all looked tired but then a 34 year old legend at the club finds the energy from somewhere and from that angle there was only a chip of the goalkeeper and he did it perfectly.

“For 24 hours that result means everything. We will enjoy the coach trip home and waking up in the morning but then we will focus on Hartlepool and we need to take that performance into our league programme.”

Att:4755

Rochdale: Lucas, Widdowson, Holness, Balkestein, Darby, Jones (C ), Tutte, Adams, Kennedy, Grimes (Thompson 82), Akpa-Akpro

Subs (not used): Edwards, Twaddle, Marshall, Gray

QPR: Murphy, Orr (Harriman 31), Taarabt, Bothroyd, Perone, Connolly, Ephraim, Shittu, Andrade, Cook (Hewitt 73), Rowlands (Derry 72)

Subs (not used): Cerny, Buzsaky, Gibbons, German

Referee: Mr O Langford
Ass Referee: Mr W Atkin
Mr G Russell
4th Official: Mr L Collins