Football: QPR dowse United fire
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester United . . . .0
Queen's Park Rangers. . .0
IT WAS a day for old favourites at Old Trafford. George Best got a standing ovation for being there, Ray Wilkins for taking a second-half corner. Manchester United, meanwhile, were returning to their recurring theme of blowing points that will probably have significance come May.
Perhaps the team are beginning to believe the taunts of opposing supporters on the lines of 'You'll never win the league' because this was a flaccid performance. Like a beautifully packaged gift of no consequence, they were all show and no substance.
Ryan Giggs beat the odd defender, Brian McClair frequently made a run or a pass that suggested something important was about to happen, but it all amounted to not very much. As the match wore on, the suspicion grew that the Stretford End would be rebuilt before United managed to score.
Although the pre-match talk was of vengeance for QPR's 4-1 win at Old Trafford on New Year's Day, United managed just a meagre collection of half-chances, most of which fell to Mark Hughes at a range or in a position that made a powerful or accurate shot improbable.
Their most threatening move came in the 51st minute when McClair passed the ball on like a baton to Andrei Kanchelskis who hared down the right wing before rifling the ball to the far post. Hughes lunged but could not make contact.
QPR had less possession but carried the greater threat when they got hold of the ball. Andrew Impey and Andy Sinton both had first-half shots that flew just wide of the United goal, but the best effort was Gary Penrice's 65th- minute drive that was thundering towards the top corner until Peter Schmeichel tipped the ball over.
It was an exception to an uninspired rule. Just after the interval a tannoy announcement informed turnstile operators that 'the second half has started'. The message might as well have been for the spectators.
Manchester United: P Schmeichel; D Irwin, C Blackmore, S Bruce, D Ferguson, G Pallister, A Kanchelskis (D Wallace, 77 min), P Ince, B McClair, M Hughes, R Giggs. Subs not used: L Martin, G Walsh (gk). Manager: A Ferguson.
Queen's Park Rangers: J Stejskal; D Bardsley, R Brevett, R Wilkins, D Peacock, D Maddix, A Impey, I Holloway, L Ferdinand (S Barker, 53min), G Penrice, A Sinton. Subs not used: J Channing, A Roberts (gk). Manager: G Francis.
Referee: D Allison (Lancaster)
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