Striker Luke Varney hopes Saturday’s 3-0 home victory over QPR will "set the tone" for the rest of the season and Blues supporters will enjoy plenty of similar afternoons at Portman Road.

“There is more like that to come,” said Varney, who scored the Blues’ second goal in his first start of his third spell at the club.

“Hopefully this will set the tone and we will get more results like that.

“Off the back of a disappointing defeat at home it was nice to come off the pitch to a positive vibe because it has been a difficult week.

“We have stuck together and we knew if we could put in good individual performances and a good team performance the result would look after itself, and that is what happened.

“It was good to come off to a positive vibe. I know it is a football cliché but it does hurt us all, we live in the town we know what it is like. We are strong and solid away, so we need to make it hard here.”

Varney profited from Rangers keeper Alex Smithies’ misjudgement for his goal, but the Blues striker heaped praise on the former England U21 international for his performance in the latter stages which kept the scoreline down to 3-0.

“We could have had six or seven different scorers if it wasn’t for their keeper,” the 34-year-old added.

“I have missed easier chances, so I was delighted. Sometimes you make your own luck and if I had not have chased it down it may not have fallen for me.

“After that mistake the keeper was incredible. When I came off I sat and watched in awe at his performance because he made five or six great saves.

“I have worked hard in training to get back in the team so I was glad to get my chance and get a goal.

“The manager has been saying to me I have been training well and that gave me confidence and I have to admit I have seen what it had to take for me to get back in the team and it has not been easy.

“I was delighted to get the chance so hopefully it will stay that way for a long time now.”

Varney was pleased to catch up with his former Blackpool boss Ian Holloway even if he helped ruin the Bristolian’s day.

“It was special to see him, I had a great time playing for him,” the striker continued. “I will take any goal, no matter who it is against.

“We have to expect performances like that at home. We have to do it more often and make it difficult for every team that comes here.

“I know as a visiting player how difficult a place this can be to come to and we have to make it again.”

He added: “We know the gaffer works under constraints and we don’t have the biggest squad but whoever comes in finds everyone roots for each other. There is no malice everyone works for each other 100 per cent.

“Looking at other results it is a good job we won. All we have to do is concentrate on what we are doing.”

Rangers defender Jake Bidwell was disappointed with the goals his side conceded.

“They were scrappy goals, it wasn’t as if we were opened up,” he said. “They sat in and we couldn’t break them down. We will look at the game and get back to things on Thursday.

“This has been the first setback [since Holloway took over as manager] so we will look at the video and see how we can improve.

“The gaffer can be all jovial but he can be tough when he wants to be and if you don’t perform you can expect that.

"It won’t be a laugh and joke all the time. I’m sure we will see that different side to him.”

Regarding Smithies, he added: “There is no blame attached to him, we win, lose and draw as a team and we have not got the result we wanted.”

Meanwhile, the Blues’ U23s are in action this afternoon when they travel to face Bristol City at Stoke Gifford Stadium (KO 1pm).

Photo: TWTD

blue75 added 06:37 - Nov 28 More performances like that at home 6 defensive plays the 1st half was let's bore QPR to death. When we're at home we should dictate the way the game plays not worry about stopping the opposition from playing.
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BrettenhamBlue added 06:54 - Nov 28 Know some of the strategy lacked entertainment but we beat QPR 3-0, which like MM or not was a great result. Hard to criticise a solid home win!
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poldark added 07:35 - Nov 28 I watched the match 1st half absolute rubbish 2nd half goalkeeper gifted 2nd goal played ok after that but don't think we will come up against a side as poor as QPR for a while
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hello66 added 07:39 - Nov 28 The manager has no respect for the fans or the club the only thing he has his heart set on is obtaining the monies from his contract by seeing it out... or by being sacked ! This is his last role in management and he Knows it, you can see it in his eyes ! That's why his able to be obtuse !
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OwainG1992 added 07:41 - Nov 28 3-0 at home. Will take it any day of the week.
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NoCanariesAllowed added 09:53 - Nov 28 Photo of the season so far? Though still doesn't hold a candle to Pitman at Fulham last year...
2

Bubsy added 10:03 - Nov 28 A win is a win and well done Mick and the boys. It has been a huge struggle and at times, a major frustration. IMO MM will pick the line-up that i would(although Saturdays was not the case - yet we got a 3 0 win), and thats why i am a fan and not the manager. For the Winter Solstice, i want some consistency draw away/win at home ...get some momentum(traction for the tractor boys) and more confidence for the players. Ipswich til i die.

5

ArnieM added 12:40 - Nov 28 If Douglas plays the more attacking role of the Skuse : Douglas partnership, I can't see a problem. Douglas was everywhere on Sat in their box, in our box, breaking up QPR attacks, setting up ours. The reason our strikers could attack with freedom was due to the Skuse: Douglas partnership giving us some guts in the middle of the park, AND Reg winning just about everything in the air, providing knock ons and link play. If Town played like this every week, top 6 would be a minimum.

9

rinkydinkpanther added 17:12 - Nov 28 More fortunate wins from an under-performing team against another under-performing team? Can't wait.
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unknown100 added 17:46 - Nov 28 It gets said after every win and then nothing comes of it... we beat Sheffield wed then lost to Forrest... win one lose one... that's the pattern and for 75% of championship clubs Hense why we have had such a poor run and still only like 4 points off the play offs... Norwich lose 5 in a row and still right in the mix, that's just the championship, very very equall
1

Cotton_eyed_joe added 18:53 - Nov 28 Wow I cant wait. Here we go again on the win 1 lose 1 draw 1 record. Anyone seen the league table today Played18 Won 8 Lost 8 Drew 8. Goals for 17 Goals against 17 So all those hoping this will kick off our season check out the stats. This has yet again papered over the cracks.
1

blueboy1981 added 19:00 - Nov 28 Lots of talk like this has, and continues, to come from Portman Road and various spokesmen .... !! Let's just see the evidence, and less talk .......... that's all that most of us ask.
0

blueboy1981 added 19:03 - Nov 28 ....... ArnieM - has to be said that Douglas was a far more effective and better player whilst at his former Club. I wonder why .... ??
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Tufty added 19:39 - Nov 28 Won 8 lost 8 drawn 8 Played 18 No wonder we are only 4 points off the play offs Come may if we won 20 lost 20 drawn 20 played 46 Should be top six :-) coyb Sorry cotton eye Joe realise just a typing error
4

Jonnosdreadlocks added 20:25 - Nov 28 Band aid over a serious wound. Surgery required despite this win over a weak as water QPR. While welcomed, it is not the start of some brand new dawn.
0

Kirbmeister added 20:39 - Nov 28 No ones saying we've turned into world beaters but for gods sake some of you are bloody miserable. What's the guy supposed to say "Thanks for picking me Mick, I'm glad I scored but I wish to god they'd sack you double quick!"
11

bobble added 21:36 - Nov 28 Its the 0-2 forest result that concerns me.....
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TimmyH added 21:44 - Nov 28 So why will this result 'set the tone'?...we've been inconsistent at best this season, more spin from a different face!
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Fat_Boy_Tim added 07:26 - Nov 29 I think some people can't see past the team sheet. We didn't play negatively, the 1st half was 50/50 and we battered them in the second. They had about 3 serious chances and in the match and 2 of those were punts from the edge of the box. we could have had 6 or 7. Oh and both Skuse and Douglas played well.
1

Swn98 added 08:06 - Nov 29 Hello66 just when I thought this site couldn't sink any lower up you pop complete and utter rubbish there would be a lot of clubs wishing for MM services your anti MM views have sent you into a state of denial.
1

Swn98 added 07:54 - Nov 30 And your mate timmyh
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TimmyH added 16:24 - Nov 30 So if you have an opinion that's different to you swn98 then your lowering the site?...are you sure it's not you talking the rubbish?
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Swn98 added 17:37 - Nov 30 It is rubbish clubs would be queuing up to sign MM so Hello66 post is rubbish bey the way you antis be careful what you wish for !
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