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Notts played concise attacking football, as did QPR with the game being from end to end, and neither team showed no fear.
The first chance for either side fell to QPR’s Thorpe, but Garden held his tame effort. Thorpe then again had a half chance after a mistake by Ian Richardson, but David Pipe intervened to dispossess him. His long pass up field found Andy Parkinson but he was clearly offside.
Notts’ first real chance came on 9 minutes when an Ian Baraclough flick found
Notts attacked again from a Nicky Fenton punt up field (surprise, surprise!) which found Parkinson whose shot was blocked. QPR immediately replied and good work down the right-hand side by Thorpe let him cross and Gallen’s shot was parried out extremely well by Stuart Garden for a corner.
Two minutes later, Garden was forced to make his second exceptional save, this time diving to his left. On 19 minutes Garden was called into action again after a Gino ‘gypo’ Padula found Gallen whose header was well taken by Garden.
Notts continued to challenge and after good work by Nicholson, who looked like a new player down the left hand side, forced a corner, but the resulting corner was cleared.
Notts’ best piece of passing football came on 26 minutes, which involved seven players and eleven passes. Baraclough took possession; he passed to Heffernan, who squared it for McHugh, whose chip found Parkinson, who rolled it back for Caskey. Caskey then passed the ball halfway across the width of the pitch to Baraclough who brought Boertien in on the action, he then drove into the Rangers half, he slid the ball in for Nicholson, who passed to Caskey, and he then insightfully passed it to Parkinson who was deemed to be offside. Good play by Notts!
Andy Parkinson lost the ball on 35 minutes to Rose whom he passed to Forbes who cleared his lines to Rowlands, who was tackled by Baraclough, was then dispossessed by Thorpe, ran 10 yards and had a pop from 25 yards, but Garden made a third good save. His clearance then found Parkinson who was robbed of the ball by Rose at the back.
Gallen then forced the fourth good save by Garden as he rose to latch onto a Thorpe cross on 37 minutes. A foul on Heffernan on 39 minutes gave Caskey the chance to shoot from 25 yards out, but instead he slipped the ball out to Parkinson wide on the left, but striker Gallen was in his own area to deny Parkinson, but he forced the corner. Caskey’s corner then fell to Nicholson who headed over the top.
Thorpe headed badly wide on 41 minutes from a Kevin McLeod cross. QPR were just starting to get the upper hand on Notts as they were carving out more chances.
Bircham accelerated down the right hand side, and was tackled brilliantly by Boertien and the resulting pass to Heffernan led to Carlisle bringing down Heffernan and the ref was very lenient, as he should have walked, as he was already on a yellow card. From the free-kick into the area by Caskey, Notts struggled for the aerial ability they have missed since Clive Platt left, but Rose was able to send McLeod free who’s pass to Padula left him in space to cross, but ended up in the crowd.
HT 0-0
Straight away the two sides got back to making the match such an entertaining contest, with Boertien’s ball finding Parkinson offside again.
QPR replied on 47 minutes when Nicholson lost the ball to Palmer. His shot was well saved by Garden - the clearance found Baraclough who lost it and allowed Bircham to get the shot in, but only to see Garden pull off another magnificent save, with a great block to deny him.
Notts cleared their lines and after Heffernan received a Baraclough pass, he went down in the area and no penalty was given, it left QPR to attack and Ian Richardson almost gave away another penalty as he brought down Gallen, but it was deemed to be right on the line. Padula’s subsequent free kick then hit the cross bar which left Pipe to clear on 52 minutes. 
The first QPR goal came against the run of play as a Caskey free kick was cleared to Rowlands who burst down the right hand side, he then passed to Mcleod who was in space in the area on his own for him to simply slot home, leaving Garden furious with his back line. (54)
QPR 1- Notts 0
QPR had taken the initiative and wanted a bigger lead and after Bircham dispossessed Nicholson on the 18-yard line he broke through the centre to feed Thorpe who passed back to Bircham, but Boertien robbed him on his 18-yard line.
Good work from McHugh and Pipe let in Baraclough, who’s shot from 25 yards left Culkin stranded, but flew just inches wide of the right hand post.
Notts made a double substitution, Harrad and Bolland on for Nicholson and Caskey. Bolland had been on the pitch 5 seconds when he went down injured after a clash of heads with Pipe. But they were both ok!
Notts then found an equaliser through PARKINSON on 66 minutes when he latched on to a loose ball after Heffernan had caught the keeper by surprise.
QPR 1- Notts 1
Just as Notts had settled back into the game and the crowd had broke into chorus of the wheelbarrow song, THORPE found himself half a yard of space on the far side and shot home on 68 minutes as Notts had temporarily switched off.
QPR 2- Notts 1
Notts fought back and Boertien chased down a loose ball,
Heffernan again received the ball but was robbed; Baraclough tackled and fed Parkinson whose tame shot was easily saved.
Just as Notts looked like getting another equaliser, McHugh gave the ball away and Rowlands fed FURLONG on 83 minutes, who turned and riffled in a shot past a helpless Garden’s right hand post.
QPR 3 – Notts 1
The match lost a little pace as both teams tired, and QPR looked to have wrapped up the game. But the last real effort of the match did result in a goal.
On 91 minutes, Parkinson won a corner. Bolland’s corner was met by the head of
Final Score QPR 3 – Notts 2