QPR's South Africa Road club shop has been struck by a break in again. On the pitch the R's face Accrington Stanley in W12 on Tuesday night as the League Cup continues.

On a relatively quiet day for QPR news the main story of interest seems to be the latest break in at the club’s satellite club shop on South Africa Road. The parade of shops next to the Springbok pub are a regular target for thieves and vandals and the shop was struck by first theft and then fire in the early hours of Monday morning.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed to the Ealing Gazette that a break in had taken place, club stock had been stolen and the back of the shop set alight. This is the second time in as many weeks that the shop has been hit following a raid before the opening day of the season against Blackpool. Local chip shop owner Dimitris Dracos said: "Two weeks ago there was another burglary. The store had been filled with stuff for the first football match of the season, and they came and opened up a big hole at the back of the shop and took everything. I've owned my shop for the last nine years, and I've been burgled 26 times. They just get some pies and small change, because I don't leave much inside. It's a very rough area, which is why I don't open after 8pm. If everyone else is closed I'm scared to stay around.”

On the pitch Rangers are back in action on Tuesday night as Accrington Stanley visit W12 for the first time since 1960 for a League Cup clash. Despite earlier lamenting the lack of a bigger draw at this stage Stanley boss John Coleman says he is looking forward to the challenge of facing a Championship side. He does however seem to fear for his side’s chances after a weekend defeat at Aldershot.

Coleman said: “It will be a real money-spinner for us and is just the sort of draw we needed. QPR are a good side and it will be an excellent test for the players and we look forward to it. We’ve got quite a few problems. We’ve got a recipe for disaster if you can’t score goals and you’re giving silly goals away yourselves. We did the same last year when we came here and they must think we’re a soft touch.”

Jim Magilton for his part has backed his side to turn round their indifferent early season form that has seem them win only once, in the League Cup in the opening five matches. He told Teamtalk: “"The expectations here have risen because of who has bought the club, but no-one is going to put me under more pressure to succeed than myself. Flavio has been very supportive. We'll persevere and with the players we have, we'll get there.”

Rangers are likely to be without Fitz Hall and Martin Rowlands for the cup match but Angelo Balanta should be fit and available for the first time since day one.

The rumour mill has today tentatively linked QPR with a move for midfielder Ben Watson again. Rangers were favourites to sign the player from Crystal Palace for most of 2008 but were rebuffed several times by the Eagles who then sold him to Wigan. A bright start with two goals at the JJB Stadium has given way to frustration since with Watson struggling to make the team following a change of manager in the summer. Cardiff are said to be leading the chase for his signature and with QPR certainly not short of midfielders this simply looks like papers digging up previous interested clubs to flesh out the rumours. Middlesbrough have been linked as well, as they were before.

In former QPR news diminutive midfielder Scott Donnelly scored twice for Aldershot at the weekend against Accrington who Rangers face on Tuesday night.

Elsewhere in the Championship today Newcastle have extended the deadline for local businessman Barry Moat to complete his takeover – although there are once again stories around today suggesting that Mike Ashley may try and hang on, encouraged by the team’s good start to the season, in the hope that he can recoup more of his money by selling the club after promotion back to the Premiership. Chelsea’s Jack Cork, previously on loan with Scunthorpe and Watford, has joined Coventry on a similar temporary deal. Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies has insisted Robert Earnshaw is staying despite rumoured interest from Newcastle – he has also warned his goal scorer on Saturday at Loftus Road David McGoldrick that he must lose weight if he is to start regularly following his £1m summer move from Southampton.

Photo: Action Images

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