QPR manager Ian Holloway has called for the use of TV replays to help referees with contentious decisions, after his side were reduced to nine men in Saturday's match with Crewe Alexandra.

Rangers missed out on the chance of automatic promotion when they were held 0-0 by the Staffordshire outfit in their last home game of the season.

And Holloway reckons that referee Andy Hall would have come to a different conclusion with the benefit of a video replay.

He said: "In the modern day we've got a phone that can take a picture. Why can't we have the fourth official linked up to a TV and give the referee an ear-piece.

"We've got the technology there so why don't we use it. We must have our heads in cloud cuckoo land.

"People like me are getting ill. The whole season could have been hinging on my two players getting sent off."

Rangers had been on top for much of the game before having Clarke Carlisle and on-loan right-back Stephen Kelly sent off.

Kevin Mcleod had two early efforts on goal but the best chance fell to Kevin Gallen.

Crewe goalkeeper Clayton Ince slipped as he tried to catch a high ball. Gallen ran onto the loose ball but couldn't get his shot away in time.

Midfielder Richard Langley nearly put The Rs ahead just before half-time when he brilliantly side-stepped the defence but shot straight at Ince.

But the tide turned just two minutes into the second-half. Carlisle had already been booked when he refused to back away from a Crewe free-kick. He then ploughed in to Ince after the Crewe stopper had already claimed the cross.

With the game stretched, Kelly was given a second yellow for diving in late, having been cautioned in the first half for the same offence as Carlisle.

The hosts hung on doggedly but all their hard work nearly went to waste in the 90th minute when Steve Jones crashed a shot against Rangers' bar. The rebound fell to Steve Foster who headed straight at keeper Chris Day.

The Hoops are now virtually guaranteed a spot in the play-offs. The only team who can make an impression on the top six are Tranmere Rovers, who are three points behind Rangers with one game remaining.

While a point at Colchester on Saturday will guarantee a spot in the play-offs, The Rs will be going all out for the win according to midfielder Marc Bircham.

He said: "We want to go there and go for the win. We owe it to the fans to go out there and play at the level we need to."

And the possibility of a day out in Cardiff next month would mean an awful lot to Bircham who is a lifelong Rangers fan.

He said: "I cried for two weeks after we lost the Milk Cup final in 1986 and we haven't had any great days out for the last ten years."

But Holloway knows his team need to show more discipline if they are going to make it to the first division.

He said: "We are going to have to keep our heads because it is going to get even more emotional."

May 1, 2003 10:00