A JUBILANT Loftus Road celebrated Queens Park Rangers' first win in any competition as Martin Rowlands' 66th minute penalty was enough to clinch a bottom of the table Championship clash.
The Canaries' horrible goal drought extended to six games and over nine hours of open play - and although the award of the penalty against Ian Murray for a foul on Rowan Vine may have been debatable, Rangers also hit the woodwork and were only stopped from winning by a wider margin thanks to an excellent display from David Marshall in City's goal.
For their part City simply failed to threaten former Canary Lee Camp's goal enough and can have few complaints about the result.
With Gary Doherty injured, City skipper Jason Shackell returned to the starting line-up after serving his three-match suspension and was joined in the heart of the Canaries' defence by Dion Dublin.
Up front young striker Chris Martin, who struck the woodwork against Scunthorpe last Tuesday night, was partnered by Darren Huckerby. In midfield Rossi Jarvis started in the centre with Darel Russell, with Lee Croft on the right and Simon Lappin on the left.
Ian Murray shrugged off a foot injury suffered in the Scunthorpe game to join Gilks, Chadwick, Brown and Strihavka on the City bench.
For QPR loanees Rowan Vine, former City player Jason Jarrett and Martin Cranie were all making their home debuts.
Although Sky were naturally focussing on a big game for both clubs in their pre-match build-up, for the newspaper photographers the excitement before kick-off centred around the appearance of glamorous celebrities Naomi Campbell and Tamara Beckwith in the directors' box.
With both sides eager to win there was some crisp passing in the opening exchanges with neither 'keeper troubled as players for either side found their feet.
The first threat to the City goal came in the ninth minute, Vine cutting the ball back from the byeline to tee up Leigertwood who drilled his low shot wide of the post from 16 yards.
Two minutes later Sahar picked the ball up and ran at the City defence after Russell lost possession in the centre circle, but his shot was eventually blocked by a superb block from Dublin at full stretch.
In the 16th minute Adam Drury was left prone on the pitch apparently clutching his shoulder after competing for a header and received lengthy treatment but thankfully was able to get to his feet and continue after a couple of minutes.
Lee Croft nearly cut in behind the Rangers defence in the 21st minute to pick up a clever pass from Chris Martin but just couldn't find the time and space to get a shot off and was eventually forced wide and away from danger by good QPR defending.
Dion Dublin received the game's first yellow card from referee Mr P.Walton in the 27th minute after a tussle for the ball in the centre of the pitch with Adam Bolder.
Just after the half-hour Huckerby and Otsemobor combined well but the City right-back seemed caught in two minds as he found himself carving into the Rangers box and eventually drilled a shot from tight angle straight at former Canary 'keeper Lee Camp.
Play switched to the other end and Hogan Ephraim warmed the palms of David Marshall with a fierce drive from 25 yards which the City custodian palmed away well.
In the 36th minute after Shackell conceded a corner, Marshall was again alert to palm away Ephraim's in-swinging flag kick from under the crossbar and away to safety.
In the closing seconds of first-half injury time Lappin's corner from the right was met by the towering figure of Dublin but he planted his header well over the bar.
Half-time: QPR 0, Norwich City 0
City made a change at the break, Ian Murray coming on for Dion Dublin - Manager Peter Grant perhaps conscious of the yellow card Dublin picked up in the first half.
But it was QPR who looked the more dangerous in the opening exchanges of the half - and they were centimetres away from breaking the deadlock in the 47th minute. The City midfield and defence seemed almost to stand off as Martin Rowlands arrowed forward from defence and he had time to blast a low shot from 25 yards which cannoned off the foot of the far post with Marshall beaten.
It was a let-off for City who had started the period firmly on the back foot - and within a couple of minutes they had another scare as they survived loud claims for a Rangers penalty after Vine went down under Shackell's challenge.
In an effort to change the balance of the game, Grant made a tactical shift on 52 minutes with Huckerby slotting in on the left of a five-man midfield and Martin left as lone striker.
Rowlands was having a lively second half and on 59 minutes he forced a smart reaction save from Marshall with a curling free kick from 30 yards which was arrowing towards the top corner.
Four minutes later with Norwich now firmly on the back foot Grant made his sceond change of the evening, striker David Strihavka replacing Lappin and joining Martin up front as the Canaries reverted to 4-4-2 once again.
On 65 minutes Lee Croft was booked for a foul on Ephraim - but if that looked harsh there was worse to come a minute later as Ian Murray was controversially adjudged to have brought down Vine in the box and a penalty was awarded.
Martin Rowlands capped a great personal performance by stepping up to ram a perfect spot kick low and to Marshall's left, giving the City keeper no chance whatsoever.
Rangers caretaker boss Mick Harford immediately made a substitution, Stefan Moore replacing Sahar.
The home side was definitely on top at this stage - two chances in the space of 60 seconds coming on 70 minutes as first Ainsworth's acrobatic volley was deflected inches wide by the head of Drury and then Stewart's powerful header from the resulting corner was saved at full stretch by Marshall.
A minute later Rowan Vine was the next to test Marshall's reflexes, forcing yet another excellent save on the line from the Canary keeper.
Somehow City needed to find a way back into a game in which they had failed to significantly threaten the Rangers goal. Grant responded by bringing on Chris Brown for Martin with 15 minutes to go.
Almost immediately there was a slight improvement as Russell hit a half-volley from 22 yards which Camp saved comfortably. It was City's first shot in anger of the second half but did at least give the City fans behind the goal something rare to cheer about.
The Canaries once again had Marshall to thank for keeping them in the game in the 82nd minute when he stuck out a leg to deny Ephraim's blast from eight yards.
Two minutes later a long raking ball forward from Otsemobor was nodded down well by Strihavka, but Brown got under his shot and sent it well over from 25 yards.
QPR then made their final change, another former City man Jason Jarrett coming on for Ainsworth with five minutes of normal time to go. Rangers were understandably happy to try and run the clock down as they closed in on what would be there first win in any competition - and Ephraim took his time leaving the pitch as he was replaced on 90 minutes by Sampsa Timoska.
The referee duly awarded five minutes of injury time
NORWICH: Marshall, Otsemobor, Drury, Shackell, Huckerby, Croft, Dublin (Murray 46), Lappin (Strihavka 63), Russell, Rossi Jarvis, Martin (Brown 75)
SUBS NOT USED: Gilks (GK), Chadwick.
QPR: Camp, Barker, Stewart, Bolder, Ainsworth (Jarrett 85), Rowlands, Sahar (Moore 69), Ephraim (Timoska 90), Vine, Leigertwood, Cranie
SUBS NOT USED: Cole (GK), Bignot.
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