Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s superb 25-yard strike eight minutes after half-time saw Town’s U21s to a 1-0 victory over QPR at Playford Road and only their second win of the season. The former Wolves man also hit the post, while Kyle Hammond had a shot cleared off the line.
The Blues, with Scott Loach in goal, Tyrone Mings captaining at left-back, Frazer Richardson at the centre of the defence and Anthony Wordsworth in midfield, almost went behind in the third minute but Peter Skapetis turned a cross from the right wide.
Three minutes later good work from Darren McQueen — an 18-year-old striker on trial from Spurs — led to Cory Galvin sending in a cross from the right which flew beyond Byron Lawrence at the far post.
On nine, second-year scholar Ted Bishop made a driving run into the area but keeper Joe Lumley blocked his strike. The ball eventually fell to Galvin, whose shot was also saved.
Wordsworth curled a freekick over on 19 after McQueen was fouled with Town continuing to have the better of the chances, while QPR had had most of the ball but without threatening.
Lumley again saved from Bishop in the 24th minute after good work from Ebanks-Blake and McQueen on the edge of the box, the keeper claiming the midfielder’s effort low to his left.
QPR defender Sam Magri was lucky to escape without being shown a card of either colour just before the half-hour mark when he hauled back lively trialist McQueen, who had been sent away behind him on the Town left by Mings. The resultant freekick came to nothing.
Loach saved low shots from Jordan Gibbons and then Mo Shariff but two minutes before the break the Blues came close to going in front.
Mings cut the ball back across the area from the left, the ball squirmed out to right-back Hammond on the edge of the area but his goalbound shot was cleared off the line by former England man Luke Young.
The ball eventually fell to Ebanks-Blake on the edge of the six-yard box but a defender’s toe intervened just as he was about to prod home.
Five minutes after the restart Loach tipped a Shariff shot over the bar, but it was Town who would take the lead in the 53rd minute.
Ebanks-Blake found himself in space 25 yards out just to the left and curled an inch perfect shot beyond Lumley’s left hand and into the top corner of the net.
Four minutes later the former Wolves man went close to adding his second. Having been found in a crowded box by Richardson, he stabbed the ball towards goal but watched it strike Lumley’s right post before being cleared.
McQueen saw a shot blocked on 62, Bishop turning Wordsworth’s subsequent strike to QPR keeper Lumley.
Wordsworth was somewhat harshly booked for a foul in the 68, far worse challenges had gone unpunished earlier on, before Jordan Adekunle, who has been told he will not be offered a new contract at the end of the season, replaced Cory Galvin.
The former Crawley trainee threatened soon after coming on, bringing the ball forward before forcing the advancing Lumley to save. McQueen was first to the loose ball but hit his shot on the turn straight at the keeper.
QPR left-back Cole Kpekawa sent over a dangerous low ball in the 73rd minute, which Loach palmed out at full stretch, Hammond clearing the danger.
Gibbons shot over for the visitors, then Shariff rather wasted a freekick from just outside the box, choosing to shoot — well over — with his team-mates expecting a cross.
Loach did well to block Peter Skapetis’s effort from close range in the 83rd minute after Shariff had found him with a ball in from the left. Moments before the whistle, QPR sub David Fitzpatrick headed wide from a freekick.
Watching Town bosses Mick McCarthy and Terry Connor will have been delighted to see Ebanks-Blake net his first goal since joining the club.
The striker’s excellent strike was the highlight of the game, while he showed his more predatory instincts with his chance which hit the post not long afterwards.
The ex-Wolves man still looks short of full match fitness, however, but will have benefited from playing the full 90 minutes.
Elsewhere, second-year scholar Bishop impressed in central midfield, particularly before the break, while trialist McQueen was a threat at times and made more of an impact than he did during last week’s U21 game against Palace.
U21s: Loach, Hammond, Mings (c), Bishop, Richardson, Clarke, Galvin (Adekunle 69), Wordsworth, Ebanks-Blake, McQueen (Leddy 73), Lawrence. Unused: Crowe, Sowunmi, Westley.
QPR: Lumley, Furlong, Kpekawa, Gibbons (Mitchell 83), Young, Magri, Shariff, Laurent, Skapetis, Dellatorre (Ismajli 68), Yun (Fitzpatrick 59). Unused: Carreiro, Hudnott.