Loftus Road on a blustery Tuesday night is not somewhere you would expect to find a group of millionaires, well tonight was the exception! The QPR directors box resembled the rich list from The Sunday Times with QPR's three major investors - Flavio Briatore, Bernie Ecclestone and Lakshmi Mittal being joined by the King of Ghana and Real Madrid president Roman Calderon, Pool weren't to be out done with Owen and Karl Oyston being joined by Club President Valery Belokon. Also in attendance in the directors box was current Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp, Fulham's Ray Lewington and the out of work Steve Cotterill, but despite this array of wealth Pool slipped to their first defeat in five games, having trailed 3-0 early in the second half the Seasiders backed by a fantastic support hit back to force a tense last quarter hour thanks to goals from Ben Burgess (61) and Stephen McPhee (73) unfortunately for Simon Grayson's men, Rangers managed to hold on switch places in the table with the Seasiders, but I am sure we would have all snatched the hand off anyone offering us 13th place in the table with 8 to go.
Pool were forced to make two changes to the starting line up, with Paul Dickov (hamstring) and Claus Jorgensen (knee) missing the game through injury, the changes saw Andy Morrell given the nod alongside Stephen McPhee in attack and Michael Flynn alongside Keith Southern.
After an opening ten minutes in which the wind played it's part QPR took the lead, Patrick Agyemang saw a cross from the left find AKOS BUZSAKY on the edge of the Pool penalty area and the former Plymouth man saw his finish with the help of the win loop over Rachubka and off the underside of the bar and into the back of the net.
Pool who enjoyed plenty of possession failed to test Lee Camp with Stephen McPhee squandering a great, the former Hull man flicked the ball over his defender and found himself through on goal and despite having Gary Taylor-Fletcher unmarked to his right, McPhee sliced his finish high and wide.
Pool were made to pay for that missed opportunity five minutes before the break, Rowan Vine, managed to shrug off Gary Taylor-Fletcher who had previously been booked to cut into the area before firing a left footed strike past Rachubka and into the bottom corner.
Before the break, QPR could have extended their lead and The Tangerines were grateful to some fine goal keeping from Paul Rachubka, who twice denied the lively Buzasky with fine full stretch saves.
Pool started the second half brightly and Gary Taylor-Fletcher will have been disappointed not to have reduced Pool's arrears, but the winger could only see his short fly straight at Camp.
Within a minute of that missed opportunity, Pool found themselves three down, Rowan Vine was allowed to race down the left flank before squaring to Agyemang, who, unselfishly toe-poked the ball into the path of the MARTIN ROWLANDS, who passed the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the six-yard box.
The third goal prompted Simon Grayson to make a double change with Ben Burgess replacing Andy Morrell and David Fox replacing Keith Southern who had felt his hamstring during the interval.
And after less than ten minutes of his introduction BEN BURGESS pulled a goal back for Pool when he fired home with an excellent finish after good work down the left hand side. Ian Evatt blasted a volley high and wide six minutes later, while at the other end, Buzsaky forced Rachubka to scramble the ball wide for a corner, after the Hungarian midfielder let fly from distance.
With 17 minutes remaining Pool made it 3-2 when Kaspars Gorkss rose to meet a corner, Gorkss header looked like it would hit the back of the net but STEPHEN McPHEE glanced the ball home to make sure.
With Pool operating a 4-3-3 formation after Keigan Parker's introduction the neat passing game seemed to desert the Seasiders with players content to hoof the ball forward which failed to test Lee Camp.
Simon Grayson will have been disappointed to have returned home with nothing, but rest assured he will have his men up and ready for Saturday's Lancashire derby with Preston North End.
QPR: Camp, Delaney, Mancienne, Blackstock, Buzsaky (Lee 85), Rowlands (Rehman 91), Connolly, Agyemang (Mahon 66), Vine, Hall, Leigertwood.
Subs: Pickens, Balanta.
Scorers: Buzsaky 10, Vine 41, Rowlands 47
Blackpool: Rachubka, Crainey, Southern (Burgess 54), Evatt, McPhee, Morrell, Hoolahan, Taylor-Fletcher (Parker 71), Gorkss, Barker, Flynn.
Subs: Coid, Fox, Welsh.
Scorers: Burgess 61, McPhee 73
Bookings: Taylor-Fletcher 29, Hoolahan 90
Referee: Mr K D Hill
Attendance: 11, 532
