Boss Roy Keane was delighted with the way Jon Stead reacted to Saturday’s harsh red card, netting Town’s second and third goals in the 3-0 victory over QPR.

Keane said: "Jon did really well. Saturday was disappointing for him but you're always going to have disappointments as a footballer.

"You're going to get injured, suspended and lose a bit of form. You have to deal with setbacks but it's about action.

"I said two or three weeks ago that I wanted one of my strikers to step out of the pack Steady's done that but how he didn't end up with a hat-trick I'll never know."

The Blues boss felt there were a lot of positives to take from the victory: "It was a good reaction from Saturday. All the squad contributed and there were plenty of pluses.

"We scored three goals at home and on another day it could have been more. I'm really pleased with all the players.

"Any team can win a football match but the good teams keep winning. We've not won back-to-back games since last May, but we're getting there."

Keane revealed that David Wright was left out after picking up a cut to his foot at Crystal Palace, which required five stitches: "Wrighty wanted to play but the medical staff said it would be a risk and Jaime has played at full-back for us before and he did well.”

QPR boss Paul Hart thought his side’s display in the opening 45 minutes deserved more: "I thought our first half performance warranted a better return than we got.

"We were unfortunate with their first goal, when it took a deflection and looped past the keeper.

"After that I thought we should have had a penalty [when Jay Simpson went to ground on the edge of the area and referee Steve Tanner waved away his protest] and then should have scored after a great cross fell to Adel Taarabt. Goals change games.

"We felt if we could reproduce our performance of the first half we'd be all right but we lost our legs a bit.

"Their second goal came after a slip on the touchline and it's hard to swallow because we're not getting done by great goals. We're the architects of our own downfall.

"We should have been ahead at half-time and felt that if we could replicate our performance of the first half we could get at least a draw."

Photo: Action Images

Back_The_Boss added 19:19 - Dec 28 Stead deserves a lot of credit, 2 important goals today, hope his red card is overturned. Based on that performance i think i will now go to the Leicester game. COYB!
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Plymouthtractorboy added 19:19 - Dec 28 Steady has played well in the games I have seen him play but he is really standing up to the plate now. Well done John, maybe some other strikers can earn the money that we pay!!!!!!!!!!!! COYB!!!!!!!!
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danknott added 19:21 - Dec 28 After Sats performance, i glad we are back to winning ways!! Well done Lads!!! Keep it up!!!
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LowerNorth added 19:26 - Dec 28 Not sure what game Paul Hart (sore Loser) was watching ... thought we were clearly the better side... yes they should have had one... but if thats the case we should have had 6 or 7! ... Well done town... great performance.. good to see Norris back with a very solid 50 mins or so... Stern John was very quiet and stood out as not having the same desire as everyone else on the pitch today.. not for us in my opinion! Up the town ... awesome day! ... and i bet 3-0 ipswich win! Ding dong! Keano!

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BoxerBlue added 19:30 - Dec 28 Well done 2day lads great to see chuck back in the side up the table we go COYB!!
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blueoveru added 19:52 - Dec 28 oh jony jony,jony jony jony jony jony Stead
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elburro3 added 20:08 - Dec 28 Paul Hart, what are you on about... "Should have been ahead at half-time" If I was a QPR fan looking at that quote after that performance I would be head in hands...
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dirtydingusmagee added 20:35 - Dec 28 Hope all those that knocked Jon Stead at start of season ,will now wake up,always said he will get goals if given the chance , COYB
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copamundial added 20:44 - Dec 28 Steads first goal was pure class. Agree with above comments about paul hart saying they should of been ahead at half time is complete rubbish thought we dominated the game
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Wickets added 20:51 - Dec 28 Good performance against a good side, No pen mr hart all north stand will tell you it was a dive not a very good one either bit of an afterthought and lucky not to be booked.Stern john held the ball up well for about 10 mins which included setting up the first goal but passed his best i think.Hope we can look foward to a much better year including a cup run and a new striker.

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kipper added 20:53 - Dec 28 Any respect I ever had for Paul Hart has now gone right out of the window. What an absolute muppet, which game was he at ? He obviously didn't notice that the chance Taarabt hoofed over the bar had been flagged offside and he should think himself lucky that Simpson was carded for diving. Also had our centre halves been able to get their headers on target from corners we could easily have been 3 or 4 goals clear by half time. He's probably scared he will get the sack if he tells the truth. Anyway rant over, some very good hard working performances today not least of all from Stead, Peters and Walters. Good atmosphere also, heres hoping we continue to improve into 2010. Think we have seen the last of Stern John, maybe we will start at Leicester with Stead (if not suspended) and Lisbie up front, just a thought ! Happy new year to all super blues supporters, in Keano we trust.

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TRUEBLUE1974 added 21:12 - Dec 28 great result just what we needed the man from the avengers does it again against qpr what a win hehe
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moomoosereni added 21:25 - Dec 28 elburro3. Think Hart was probably referring to the two guilt edge chances QPR had. One free header on the edge of the 6-yard box, and one blaze over from 6 yards. But Having said that they were their only two good chances and they were barely ever in the game at all. Just great to see our attacking players doing so well today (Other than John, not a good performance!)

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Holdsteady added 21:25 - Dec 28 Fantastic match, great atmosphere. Todays result made up for the misery of boxing day for me. Great all round team performance, Stead was the star, felt sure he was on to a hat trick but it was not to be. Now lets get rid of that red card!
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biffo added 21:38 - Dec 28 good on ya town lets ave sum more off that
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Dogsy40 added 21:47 - Dec 28 Paul Hart.....what are you on about???? I can see how a 1-0 loss can be an unlucky result but to try and take a 3-0 clean sheet win away from the Town is ridiculous. Flavio do your thing please!
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Mark added 22:14 - Dec 28 Congratulations to Jon Stead, who scored two super goals today. It's a pity his control isn't better as that would make him a much better all round player. As for Stern John, I thought he battled hard and did some really good stuff first half. Second half he was poor though. We brought him here to score goals and he didn't do that, so I think we should look elsewhere for a striker in January.

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wisebluey added 22:30 - Dec 28 Also ... WELL DONE STEAD . worked his socks off for the Town today .. true blue
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16_Jack_ken_16 added 22:48 - Dec 28 john stead mate what a game for you first half you were as good as wet toilet paper lol but second half well you snapped into shape 2 goals you could have got more but who cares mate you were good you changed what the fans fort that match but you need to practice on your touch that was you fault today but welldont walters charged at them and put on in the net well CHUFFED great game and peters well happy with you. you maybe on soccer AM for BIG TACKLE lol great game coyb i belive in you keano

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Skip73 added 22:48 - Dec 28 Yeah Fizzyblue, Where IS UEFA81? He went missing after we beat Blackpool, but surprise surprise, he was back when we lost to Palace and what do you know he's gone missing again. What a pillock. Come on Uefa, what you gotta say about that great performance today then.
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Dowson added 22:48 - Dec 28 steads picking up the form now netting in goals for us. but we still need i striker in my opinion as we cant always rely on stead , What if he gets injured/suspended we've got no one realy to back him up tamas,pablo,john and young connor the best there is pablo and hes only netted 1 this season. that explains it all ok connors good for his age but not good enough for this level of football yet thats what i feel. but ey well done stead

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Lightningboy added 23:11 - Dec 28 Said since day 1 Stead should be given a decent run,hard worker & underrated..well done Jon - keep it up.
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VemundBrekkeSkard added 00:42 - Dec 29 (to tune of Kings of Leon) Whooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh Jon Stead is on Fire. Fantastic performance. Best bit of the game though was the ludicrously huge cheer when Wickham was brought on to replace Stern John. I mean, he's not THAT bad, but he is entirely surplus to requirements and he contributed very little today. I half expected the substitution announcement to go: "Now coming off for Town, it's number 21 Stern John... Being replaced by... an inanimate plank of wood with a smiley face drawn on it" (hooray!) Something tells me we won't be etending his loan.

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ChambersM added 02:17 - Dec 29 basically, ledge
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nobrain added 08:17 - Dec 29 Just what you want from a striker - goals!! Excellent work by Stead.
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