Magnificent Town came from behind to grab the first win of the Jim Magilton era at QPR. Kevin Gallen put the home side in front after the break but the brilliant Blues, wearing their black third kit, netted three times through Simon Walton (pen), Jason De Vos and Dean Bowditch.

Boss Jim Magilton dropped testimonial man Richard Naylor from central defence, Alex Bruce replacing him. Loanees Simon Walton and Mark Noble returned to the midfield, Walton in the centre and Noble on the right. Gavin Williams returned in the middle with Matt Richards on the left. Up front, Billy Clarke, so impressive at Peterborough, was handed his second senior start alongside Alan Lee.

QPR started the brighter of the two sides, but failed to create much of note. Billy Clarke almost set-up a chance for Alan Lee with a neat flick but QPR keeper Paul Jones was off his line quickly to claim.

Jason De Vos forced keeper Paul Jones to drop the ball from a Richards freekick on seven but no one was on hand to add a final touch. For the home side, Nick Ward shot over from distance.

Clarke hit an audacious shot wide from 35 yards in the 19th minute, then made a sharp run on to a Richards pass and forced Jones to make a save with a powerful snap shot at his near post from the left. The Irish youngster was proving to be a handful for the QPR defenders.

Richards tried a cheeky 40-yarder over Jones's head, the veteran stopper having strayed off his line, but was wayward with his execution.

Rangers ought to have gone in front in the 34th minute when Ray Jones cleverly played Dexter Blackstock through one-on-one with Lewis Price. The Welsh international keeper stood his ground well and stopped Blackstock's shot with his foot.

At the other end, Jason De Vos might have put the Blues ahead when a ball, looped back into the box after a corner, fell to him inside the area. However, the Canadian struck keeper Jones with his effort, the loose ball subsequently failing to fall for Clarke.

Alan Lee, looking more like his old self, made an impressive run down the right in the 37th minute, cutting inside a couple of defenders and feeding the ever-willing Clarke, who crashed a shot off the bar.

The Blues were by now well on top and playing their best football of the season, but suffered a scare with five minutes of the half remaining, Fabian Wilnis ducking under a cross from the right when he looked odds-on to score an own goal and doing just enough to put off Ward behind him.

Town were unlucky not to be ahead at the break, Billy Clarke having been the star of an excellent 45 minutes. The Blues had started slowly but gradually Williams and Noble took control of the midfield, while Walton, Bruce and De Vos prevented the home side from having too many meaningful attempts on goal.

Jim Magilton's Blues continued where they left off after the break and if anything were even more impressive, out-passing the home side from the off.

Despite their dominance, it wasn't until the 56th minute that Town tested Jones, Noble hitting an effort from the right when he probably should have crossed to Clarke in the centre.

Bruce took a nasty blow to the face and left the field covered in blood for treatment. It was while the former Birmingham man was off the pitch that QPR went in front. With Bruce missing, left-back Harding was moved into the centre and Billy Clarke was employed as an emergency defender. As a cross came in from the left, Kevin Gallen lost the Irish youngster and just managed to squeeze the ball past Price.

The goal had come very much against the run of play and the Blues immediately set about getting back on terms. Gavin Williams, Town's most influential player, took the ball into the area and went to ground as he went past Damion Stewart. It was a decision which could have gone either way but referee Lee Mason pointed straight to the spot.

With penalty-taker Matt Richards having missed twice already this season, Simon Walton took the responsibility and was somewhat fortunate to see his weak kick bobble under Jones and into the net.

Town continued to dominate and Noble shot wide prior to Dan Harding, improving with every game, forcing Jones to tip over the bar.

On 67 Mark Noble sent in a deep corner from the left which Gavin Williams met on the volley from the edge of the area, the ball crashing off the post before being put out of play.

From that corner the Blues went in front. The ball in from the right found De Vos at the far post and the central defender steered it into the corner of the net with his shin to put him top of Town's goalscoring charts for the season with two.

Marc Bircham picked up the game's only yellow card in the 74th minute for a high and wild challenge on Gavin Williams, just seconds after coming on as a sub.

On 77 Dean Bowditch replaced Clarke who had become less effective in the second half after an excellent first period, almost certainly doing enough to keep his place in the side.

Lee shot over the bar, then at the other end Price dropped a ball under pressure from two QPR attackers but Bruce and then De Vos threw themselves in for important blocks.

With four minutes remaining, the Blues sealed the first win of Jim Magilton's managerial career. Richards chased a ball down the left, played it to Williams who beat Stewart on the edge of the box before his cross was deflected to into the path of Bowditch, the sub nodding into the net from six yards. It was the former England U19's first goal for the Blues since October 2004, although he did net once each for loan clubs Burnley and Wycombe.

In the final minutes, Danny Haynes took over from Alan Lee and Darren Currie came on for the hugely impressive Gavin Williams.

The Welshman was probably the star of the show, although there were superb performances all over the pitch. Noble and Walton are both looking increasingly comfortable in the Town midfield, while De Vos and Bruce were generally solid at the back.

Billy Clarke showed that he has a great deal of promise for the future, something which was typical of the entire team. The Blues passed the ball around slickly and held on to possession and the frontmen made intelligent runs.

While the Magilton revolution got off to a slow start in the first few weeks of the season, it has moved on leaps and bounds in the last few days with Town now utterly unrecognisable from the shambles which lost so convincingly at Leicester.

Town: Price, Wilnis, Harding, Bruce, De Vos, Walton, Williams, Noble, Richards, Clarke, Lee. Unused: Naylor, Sito. Att: 10,918.

Photo: Action Images

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