Bristol City 1 Queen's Park Ranger 1: Cerny's new freedom has security benefits for QPR

Graham Nickless
Monday 01 September 2008 00:00 BST
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Radek Cerny is enjoying his relaxed new lifestyle and new sense of freedom at Queen's Park Rangers compared to the stressful way of living he experienced at Tottenham Hotspur.

The Czech Republic goalkeeper and former Slavia Prague player moved across London when the sun was last seen in early summer and he has been glowing with contentment ever since.

Cerny knew his days were numbered in north London when Spurs started chasing Heurelho Gomes, PSV Eindhoven's Brazilian keeper but all that is behind him now that he is about to become one of the Championship's bigger names if his early form with his new employers is anything to go by.

His remarkable one-handed save late in the game at Ashton Gate denied Dele Adebola, the Bristol City striker, a headed winner and preserved a point for Rangers, who were a man short for 40 minutes after Emmanuel Ledesma picked up a second yellow card for a late challenge on Jamie McAllister.

Cerny played down his excellent save but talked up his exciting future. He said: "For me I have to enjoy my life and if I'm playing I enjoy it so much more and there's more chance to play more games in the Championship. I think Tottenham was like a big factory football club and there was too much pressure for the players."

Dexter Blackstock showed dexterity, bravery and sheer determination when he rode out two challenges from the home defenders Louis Carey and Liam Fontaine before falling to the ground but, somehow, he still managed to hook the ball into the net to give QPR the lead on 18 minutes.

City, last season's play-off losing finalists, are determined to prove that they are not going to suffer "second-season syndrome" in the Championship and maintained their unbeaten League run by equalising within seven minutes.

Brian Wilson did exceptionally well to keep the ball in play and his whipped cross was bundled home by Adebola, the former Coventry striker, who later left the ground shaking his head in bewilderment but also full of admiration for Cerny's work.

He said: "As soon as the ball left my head I thought it was a goal but to see him tip it round the post was devastating. It's still early days but eight points from four games is not bad and we still have some key players to come back."

Goals: Blackstock (18) 0-1; Adebola (25) 1-1.

Bristol City (4-4-2): Basso; Orr, Carey, Fontaine, McAllister (Webster, 55); Wilson (Sproule, 78), Johnson, Skuse (Williams, 57), McIndoe; Maynard, Adebola. Substitutes not used: Brooker, Weale (gk).

Queen's Park Rangers (4-4-1-1): Cerny; Ramage, Connolly, Stewart, Delaney; Ledesma, Leigertwood, Mahon, Cook (Rowlands, 55); Parejo (Aygemang, 75); Blackstock. Substitutes not used: Camp (gk), Gorkss, Balanta.

Referee: D Deadman (Cambridgeshire).

Booked: Bristol City Orr, Sproule; QPR Cook, Blackstock, Rowlands, Ledesma.

Sent off: QPR Ledesma (50).

Man of the match: Cerny

Attendance: 17,543.

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