Leon Ayinde was on target as Town’s U21s drew 1-1 with QPR at Loftus Road this afternoon.
The home side, wearing their usual hoops with the Blues in orange, went ahead in only the second minute.
A Jesse Ayoola loose pass as Town played out from the back gifted the ball to Arkell Jude-Boyd wide on the right. He crossed for Nathan Jeche, who headed into the net from close range.
On nine, Matt Ward struck the Blues' first shot of the game just wide of home keeper Harry Cant’s left post from the edge of the area.
In the 19th minute, Steven Bala hit a shot from just outside the Blues box which took a deflection, forcing Town keeper Henry Gray to palm wide. Following the resultant corner, Henry Hawkins nodded wide at the far post.
Town were struggling to make any impact on the game with QPR’s high press not allowing them to pass their way out from the back.
On 34, Harry Murphy flicked a header towards the corner of Gray’s left post but the New Zealand U20 international was able to save comfortably.
A minute later, Alex Aoraha hit a free-kick wide of Gray’s other post from just outside the area.
But Town had started to get a foothold in the game and in the penultimate scheduled minute of the half, Ward exchanged passes with Ayinde as he broke into the area, then played to Osman Foyo to the left of the box but the former Norwich youngster’s effort was save.
However, within a minute, the Blues did get on terms. Ayinde, a scorer in last week's 4-1 victory over Watford at Playford Road, was played in and the one-time Cork City youngster slipped the ball past the advancing Cant and into the corner of the net.
Before the break, Foyo, again playing as the number nine, almost created a second goal for Town, cutting into the area from the left along the byline, but his ball across was cut out.
The whistle ended the first period soon afterwards with the Blues in the ascendency having been very much second best for long spells having found it tough going to get out of their own half against QPR’s determined press.
However, despite the giveaway early goal, Blues number one Gray had otherwise not been significantly troubled.
Ahead of the second half, QPR swapped Casey Shann, who spent time on trial with Town over the summer, for sub Jake Leahy.
Two minutes after the restart, good work from Ward saw Foyo get a glimpse at goal but two QPR defenders got across to block and divert the ball for a corner, both subsequently requiring treatment.
Town continued to have the better of the early stages of the half, now able to play out from the back with QPR’s press lacking its earlier intensity.
On 64, with the game becoming a more even affair, Ward and Roberts were swapped for Nico Valentine and Rio Morgan.
Chances were rare at both ends but in the 72nd minute Foyo outmuscled a defender as the pair chased a ball over the top but it cannoned off his shin and into the QPR area and Cant claimed.
Murphy turned a shot from just outside the box into Gray’s arms on 78 with neither keeper having had a busy half.
A minute later, Murphy played a great pass in for Samuel Sackey, but Town left-back Harry Barbrook slid in to make a brilliant saving challenge with the Rangers sub otherwise looking odds-on to put his side back in front.
On 82, a Valentine cross from the right was half-cleared to Morgan on the edge of the box to the left, but the Northern Ireland U19 international’s effort looped well into the stand behind the goal, much to his frustration.
In the 89th minute, Murphy volleyed over under pressure from a cross from the right before the home side had a brilliant chance to win it seconds before the scheduled end.
Sackey flicked a header into the path of Jeche, but Gray advanced and superbly saved with his feet.
In injury time, Town also had a great opportunity to claim all three points. Harry Barbrook crossed low from the left to Ash Boatswain, but from six yards the sub sent the ball back where it came from rather than into the gaping goal.
That was the last chance of an entertaining game which either side could have won in the closing moments.
Overall, a draw, Town’s U21s’ first of the season, was probably a fair result with the Blues having started slowly in the first half before getting themselves on top in the game’s middle phase prior to a more open latter spell in which both teams had opportunities to grab the three points.
QPR: Cant, Boyd, Shann (Leahy 46), Harrack (Manufor 77), Hawkins, Drewe (c), Murphy, Aoraha (Tuck 60), Jeche, Talla, Bala (Sackey 66). Unused: Clark.
Town: Gray, Jambang, H Barbrook, Mazionis, Ayoola, F Barbrook (c), Ward (Valentine 64), Carr, Foyo, Roberts (Morgan 64), Ayinde (Boatswain). Unused: Lavin, Binns.