Goals from Grant Ward, Luke Varney and Tom Lawrence saw Town to a 3-0 victory over QPR at Portman Road. Ward put the Blues ahead via a scuffed effort on 13, then Varney benefited from an error by visitors’ keeper Alex Smithies nine minutes after the break, before Lawrence sealed the win - which in the end could have been even more comfortable - on 61.

Varney, Jonathan Douglas and Adam Webster came into the Town team for Freddie Sears, Josh Emmanuel and Teddy Bishop, who all dropped to the bench.

Douglas rejoined Cole Skuse in the centre of midfield, while Varney, who was making the first start of his third spell with the Blues, was up front with David McGoldrick.

Webster took up his usual central defensive role with skipper Luke Chambers returning to right-back.

Neither side had threatened before the Blues took the lead in the 14th minute. Tom Lawrence was fouled out wide on the left and sent over the freekick himself.

QPR keeper Alex Smithies punched weakly to the edge of the box to Grant Ward. The winger’s first effort was blocked but the former Spurs man regained possession, took the ball on a stride before scuffing a shot across the wrong-footed Smithies and into the corner of the net to claim his fifth goal of the season.

The visitors weren’t far away from grabbing an almost immediate equaliser after a sharp Tjaronn Chery break down the right but Cole Skuse did well to get back and outmuscle Conor Washington as the ball came in and Bartosz Bialkowski was able to claim.

QPR’s James Perch picked up the game’s first yellow card in the 25th minute when he needlessly slid in two-footed on Bialkowski with the keeper already having claimed the ball.

Perch protested but there seemed little doubt a card was warranted with some referees perhaps seeing the challenge as worthy more than a yellow.

Two minutes later, with chances remaining rare at both ends, Chery shot over from distance for Rangers.

Town should have doubled their lead in the 32nd minute when Lawrence whipped in an excellent freekick from the right. Berra reached it first but headed the wrong side of Smithes’ left post. The Scot will feel he should have been celebrating his first goal of the campaign.

QPR will similarly feel they ought to have scored in the 35th minute from their first serious chance of the game. Washington was found by a ball in from the right as he broke towards the six-yard box but Bialkowski was off his line quickly to block from the Northern Irishman.

The visitors were enjoying a spell on top and two minutes later Rangers skipper Nedum Onuoha scraped a low shot through to Bialkowski, who was untroubled.

QPR were lucky to end the half with 11 men after the already-booked Perch left Jonas Knudsen in a heap on the touchline. Referee Andy Woolmer opted not to issue a second yellow card, despite plenty of Town players reminding him about the former Forest and Newcastle man’s earlier caution.

Woolmer ended what had been a largely scrappy half of few chances moments later to boos, aimed in his direction for his leniency towards Perch rather than towards Town manager Mick McCarthy on this occasion.

Having gained their lead, perhaps fortuitously with Ward appearing to scuff his shot, the Blues ought to have increased their advantage when Berra headed wide.

QPR, who were playing the better football and putting the Blues under pressure in the final quarter of a hour with Town forced to defend in depth, went closest when Washington was denied by Bialkowski.

Three minutes after the restart, Jordan Cousins struck the first shot of the second half from distance through to an untroubled Bialkowski.

The Blues threatened a minute later when a Lawrence freekick from the right was headed into the air by a defender. After Douglas had seen a shot on the turn blocked, the ball fell for Webster, whose shot deflected behind off a Town player.

But in the 54th minute Town were gifted a second goal by QPR keeper Smithies, an incident which would prove to be the game’s pivotal moment.

Varney chased Douglas’s long ball over the top and the former England U21 international rushed out of his area but mis-headed his clearance behind him, allowing the Town striker to stroke into an empty net before celebrating his second goal of his latest spell with the Blues in front of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

Two minutes later Skuse smashed a 25-yard strike into Smithies’ midriff, before the visitors made a double substitution with Sandro and Idrissa Sylla replacing Sebastian Polter and Perch.

But on 61 the Blues increased their lead further. Skuse struck a low shot from 25 yards, which only reached Lawrence just inside the area. The on-loan Leicester man deftly took the pace out of the ball before turning and slamming a low strike to Smithies’ left and into the corner of the net.

After Bialkowski had saved Chery’s well-struck effort from just outside the area, the visitors made their final change with Yeni Ngbakoto taking over from Cousins.

Shortly afterwards the very Varney, lively throughout, was replaced by Sears with the goalscorer warmly applauded off by the Town support.

On 71 Lawrence and Chery were booked for a clash, then seconds later the QPR midfielder left Skuse in a heap and was again spoken to by referee Woolmer.

The Blues were inches away from a fourth two minutes later when Lawrence sent over another excellent freekick from the left which just avoided Berra’s head and narrowly flew the wrong side of the far post.

McGoldrick curled well wide on 75, then a minute later Rangers went close to pulling one back when Sandro powerfully headed Chery’s right-sided corner against the near post.

As the game entered its final scheduled 10 minutes the Blues replaced Lawrence with Leon Best and continued looking for goals, largely on the counter-attack.

McGoldrick shot wide, then forced Smithies to palm a strike from a tight angle on the right wide. From the corner, the ball was cleared to Skuse, whose low shot was deflected into the net but with referee Woolmer having already blown his whistle.

Ward should have made it 4-0 when fed through one-on-one with Smithies in the 83rd minute but the keeper got down to his right to push the ball past the post. From the corner Douglas sent his header high and wide.

In the final minute of regular time Sears shot low to Smithies, then in injury time McGoldrick spurned another chance to make it 4-0 when his lob was pawed away by the keeper after he had been played in on goal by sub Best.

Moments later, Sears was sent through on goal but again was thwarted by Smithies, who had made an admirable recovery from his embarrassing earlier error.

Just before the final whistle, QPR sub Ngbakoto’s freekick from the edge of the area was saved at his right post by Bialkowski.

Having rather ground their way to their half-time 1-0 lead, in the end the Blues could have won much more comfortably than 3-0.

Smithies’ catastrophic error which led to Varney’s goal knocked the stuffing out of the visitors with Town’s confidence conversely being given a huge boost.

Lawrence, whose set pieces were a danger throughout, took his goal clinically, while one or two of his team-mates will feel they ought to have got their names on the scoresheet via one of several late chances.

Town's last win by three goals or more was the 3-0 victory at Charlton in November last year - earlier that month the Blues won 5-2 at Rotherham - while the last win by three goals at home was another 3-0 victory over the Addicks in December 2014.

The win, much-needed after last week’s defeat to Nottingham Forest, sees the Blues climb to 14th, five points off the play-offs following Leeds' victory at Rotherham – three behind Norwich who lost 1-0 at Derby – and six from the bottom three. Town travel to Bristol City, who lost 2-1 at Reading today, next Saturday.

Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Webster, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Douglas, Ward, Lawrence (Best 80), Varney (Sears 68), McGoldrick. Unused: Gerken, Emmanuel, Bru, Bishop, Williams.

QPR: Smithies, Perch (Sylla 59), Bidwell, Lynch, Hall, Onuoha (c), Cousins (Ngbakoto 67), Henry, Chery, Washington, Polter (Sandro 59). Unused: Ingram, Wszolek, El Khayati, Shodipoo. Referee: Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire). Att: 16,510 (QPR: 1,225).

Photo: TWTD

Tony88 added 22:13 - Nov 26 Thank you to all who marked me down tonight, I love when I am proved right.
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warktheline added 22:18 - Nov 26 @tony88, what have you proved? Are we on the march! Have we hit form? Are we a big threat to promotion chasing clubs? Or is it we won today, and that makes it all, alright?
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Kikapu added 22:29 - Nov 26 lonely blue you forgot to include - ''The best form of defence is attack''. How many times have I read this overused tactical answer to all our problems?
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pragmatic added 23:27 - Nov 26 3points is 3points dont care how we get them mcarthy & Evans outer hav still not come up with suitable replacements until you do suggest you stick it!!!!
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itfcbam added 23:38 - Nov 26 So an excellent result, a 3-0 win and still people moan. Must say bit surprised with the starting line up, which pre match mostly MM was getting slaughtered for. Like him or not just proves he DOES know more than us. Defence certainly more solid, despite many of us apparently knowing better. Many of the kids people want in the team are played in cup matches, remember how good our cup teams are! If there was a league table of resources available, budget etc. we would be where we are now (if not slightly lower). We have been well above that the last 3 seasons yet we have a dreadful manager??!! We are not a big club in this division despite what many think. Maybe we need to be careful what we wish for when he does go (however soon that is). Let's hope when we do replace MM we find someone who also achieves a better league position than the resources they have available.

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62WasBest added 23:41 - Nov 26 It could just be that the current crop of players are better at counter attacking football than taking the initiative, so that when we play at home against teams that are organised and deny space we are poor, but away we generally have a better chance. QPR came to attack and thereby lost. We also seem to go into an international break with our tails up but resume as if we have forgotten what game we are playing. Why is that? Something wrong in the psychology/preparation department, it seems.

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budgieplucker added 00:03 - Nov 27 No taking away the great result. My daughter who has a season ticket with me decided to give the game a miss for the third successive home match. So when I heard the team news driving in i dropped into a state of depression. I tend to try and view each match pragmatically and despite the recent two home performances I think the team have tried to play more fluent football in the last couple of matches. Hoof was clearly back today and I think Mick took an enormous risk with his selection if things had gone badly early on then the crowd i think would have turned hostile very early. 38% possesion and a scuffed shot and lady luck was on our side today as went into the break. A real goolie of a mistake and 2 nil up. It looked as if it was going to be our day at last and and big reprieve for Mick was looming. To be fair the confidence grew and we raised our possession to 42% and added a third through the ever impressive Tom Lawrence. A few more wasted chances but at least we were making the chances. Good performances from Lawrence (again), Varney, Didzy, and Skuse who has been far too anonymous this year. Grant Ward at last put in an overdue decent performance and the defence looks far more assured with the improving Webster back. There also looked to be some promise in the Leon Best and Didzy partnership. Let's enjoy today's performance and the 3 points. I will always clap the lads at the end despite the result because I believe they are all hard working honest players, but let's not kid ourselves when we keep players of the calibre of Johnny Williams and Teddy Bishop on the bench then the manager has no intention of trying to dominate the opposition and we will be loosing fans like my daughter. Let's just pray that Tom Lawrence remains fit!!!

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gippeswyk added 00:13 - Nov 27 Some people are never happy. Go support Barcelona. Mick does well with what he has and the players give their all. That's what the pundits said on the football league show, so get behind the team.
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BrettenhamBlue added 01:22 - Nov 27 For me, Bart MOM again. Lawrence, Skuse, Mcgoldrick, Ward, Webster, Varney all played well. Only slight negative was hoofball was back big-time, but it got the result. If MM wants to win back fans we now need 6 points out of the next 3 games. I don't enjoy the style of play, but think given our precarious position Mick is the right man for the job right now. A new manager now could be a dangerous move as we are not far off the relegation zone.

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Mick_Mills_Tache added 07:12 - Nov 27 One win and listen to the crowing from the Mick bummers. Joke. No wonder we're a club with no ambition and have been a Championship side for 16 years. Pragmatic, I have given several options for managers that would be 10 times better than Mick. You just choose not to read them and to ignore them. ITFCbam, be careful what we wish for? I wish we'd play attacking, passing football; win, lose or draw. We won today, Mick will start the same dynamic duo in midfield against Bristol and we'll play awful and we'll get beat 2-0. Then he'll do the same against Cardiff at home, we'll play awful and scrape a draw. That's how predictable we are. The league is the worst in years (bar Newcastle and maybe Villa now finding their stride) with every team not being consistent enough. 18 games in and we're 5 points off the play offs and 6 points off the drop zone. This year would've been the best year for us to have made a serious promotion challenge and yet here we are, treading water with Dino Mick. He should've gone in the summer and been replaced with a younger manager who's more in touch with the modern game. It was obvious that he's taken us as far as he could last season...so why keep plodding along with the same old dire rubbish?

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Swn98 added 07:38 - Nov 27 Mickmillstache I think you are a true representative of a previous post about this site becoming a war zone of bile and vitriolic from one side of the MM in or out brigade all I want to see is town by hook or by crook get as many points as we can so perhaps we can creep into the playoffs. Just imagine before the playoffs came in our season would be all but over now. I seem to recall not so long ago people were crowing about Holloway being a good replacement well it was a poor display yesterday and they couldn't beat a poor scum side with only 10 players for most of the match by more than one goal. So please take off the blinkers and look at the wider picture!!!!

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itfcbam added 08:14 - Nov 27 Mick mills tache. You obviously prefer the days of Jewell and Keane then, where the football may have been a bit better, but we had costs out of control, spiraling debt, much lower league position. All probably cause you don't like MM. I'm not a massive fan of his and yes would like better football but am not blinkered into realising, unlike many of his predecessors, he is achieving more than he should with the resources available. As for the league being poor think it's the opposite, financially never been tougher.

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hello66 added 08:33 - Nov 27 Nothing changes after just one game we all know that, sounds like Lady Luck was on our side today talking to friends, that just about still attend because their season ticket tells them to go .... but all of them giving it up next season ..... a couple stopping direct debit after Xmas ! He is now the most disliked manager I can remember, his respect for the fans and this club are zero, all he really cares about is obtaining his monies from his current contract, by either seeing it out or being sack ! ...... wow I used to be ecstatic if we won ..... but knowing this win extends his position and reading his feedback just makes me feel low ..... as I say to my children when feeling low , I can't change anything or take the pain away, I just know that you will not feel like this for ever ! ....roll on new manager it will happen it's just when. 😜

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woohoo added 09:05 - Nov 27 Was at game and went home happy. Not so much with the win (always welcome!) as with the performance. Unlike recent games at PR, Town looked like the really wanted it. And that's what makes the difference! More of the same please.
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ChestnutSe added 09:33 - Nov 27 A good result today and a gritty determined performance against a physical QPR. Well done all at ITFC
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WindsorBlueArmy added 10:29 - Nov 27 Still it carries on.3hard won points and apparently it's about Lady Luck!!!!!In life you make your own luck(right place right time).Still the Mick out brigade pursue their cause:question again who would they like as a replacement? I am sure there will be a strong contingent of us at Bristol next week wanting more of the same etc etc.If it doesn't happen then we move on.Isnt that the life of a football fan?After 50 years I have no intention of stopping(and there are many others who feel the same).COYB

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BillBlue added 11:31 - Nov 27 I am amazed at how many people are saying " we might get into the 'play-offs' as though that is the be all and end all. Surely learning to play real football comes first - how to attack from a strong defence - but if we did get to the play-offs, so what? We would still be the laughing stock but supposing, just supposing we won? Hell. we would be so rock bottom as not to be envisaged. Norwich are setting a regular up/down pattern but how quickly would we supercede that? We wouldn't have opponents gifting us three goals to save our Manager's job. But what about the money I hear you saying well one thing is certain we, nor the club, would see any of it as there is a bottomless pit out there! No what we need is not the play-offs but a complete clean out from top to bottom. Nothing else will do.

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heathen66 added 12:08 - Nov 27 Unable to make the game so gave my ST away so cannot comment on the performance. Great result against a resurgent QPR, especially when I saw the return of Skuglas. Hopefully we can build on this result and start putting in performances that ALL Ipswich Town fans can be proud of.
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lonelyblue added 13:34 - Nov 27 @warktheline, haha, I forgot to mention the beloved "facts", or "FACTS", as you lot tend to write them (they are not facts, they are opinions). Don't big yourself up, buddy, I'm not in the slightest bit upset by the likes of you. I lead a happy life, thank you. I do have one fact for you though; ostriches do not, contrary to popular myth, bury their heads in the sand. Or maybe you were referring to my impressive wing-span or lightning speed across the ground?

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warktheline added 14:18 - Nov 27 Lonelyblue, strange name for someone living a 'happy life'. Opinions if you like, many of which are now boycotting or if still in attendance, are bored rigid! My opinion is as follows; since McCarthy took his 'rag tag' team to play offs, the team performances have regressed! Thus McCarthy has totally run out of ideas to even make top six again. Again he reverted back to type yesterday, same laborious midfielder duo, Chambers etc etc! Please explain the bright future ahead under a manager unwilling to change, and an owner who has lost interest?

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TimmyH added 14:23 - Nov 27 @gippeswyk - they certainly didn't last week against Forest, a trully appalling effort by some..
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Seasider added 16:37 - Nov 27 Well I must be a clairvoyant,lol,as I predicted that just as he had after the 5-1 defeat to Reading last year,Mick would revert to what he knows best(sidtheswan);which I said would be the return of Douglas,and a little bit more 'hoof'than recently. And tho it came to pass,although Town didn't do much of that in the first half,against a side in Rangers who I agree with Hancockingoal were the poorest seen at PR this season. They were also as WindsorBlueArmy says the most physical(ie dirty)side seen at Ipswich this season. Regarding the game I agree with budgiepluckers well summarised post,also bluelady's;although don't share her opinion about Jonny Williams who I think could be the answer in midfield,if he is actually played;which didn't happen yesterday. Ipswich seemed 'up for it'yesterday,which they clearly were not against Forest,who gave our players less room to operate than QPR.I also thought that two of our goals were 'soft';the trickler from Ward,and the goalkeeping gaff for Reg's;however it was Varney's quick closing down that made their gk fluff his clearance,just as it was Skues shot which fell conveniently in the path of Tom Lawrence who nevertheless took his goal very well. Yes a pleasing win,with good performances especially from Skues(more positive with shots).Lawrence(great Loan signing)and Webster(pure class).I also think that Ward,Didzy and Varney also had hard working good games,and Bart was his usual reliable self. I do hope however that this one good result does not lead McCarthy to exclude our three good footballers in Williams,Bishop and Bru for every game,especially Jonny,as don't feel that Douglas'legs,at 35,would allow him to play every game until the end of the season.This goes for a lot of the players,as a small amount of squad rotation I feel would lead to players being fresher;as was the case with Dougy yesterday,who like chrishants though thought was still our worst player.

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RRanger added 19:32 - Nov 27 I like most of the people posting was disappointed when I arrived at PR yesterday and saw the mline up but then I thought about it a bit. Now that Murphy has gone Varney is without doubt the best attacking header of the ball and also plays with the enthusiasm of someone 10 years younger than he is. About Williams : I suspect MM has promised Pardew that he will look after him. He is obviously very talented and we know that MM loves him but if he starts I suspect it'll greatly increase his chances of getting injured and so is going to be used mainly as an impact second half sub to run at players when they get tired. He wasn't needed yesterday so why put him on. Sensible management I call it. Regarding Douglas , he wasn't great in a footballing sense but it did seem to encourage Skuse to get forward more and I thought he (Skuse) had his best game for a very long time..The midfield last week was completely in effectual and Bishop, for all he is obviously very talented, has not been great this year. The player who I think is under threat is Knudsen. I don't think it would do him any harm at all to be replaced by Kenlock for a few games and have to work his way back into the side..Barring injuries I'll be very surprised if the starting line-up is any different next Saturday and I for one won't be disappointed if it is.I'm not a great fan of Douglas but I think if yesterday is anything to go on, he does take a bit of the defensive pressure of Skuse. Finally mu disappointment about Webster is that unless a miracle happens and we get promoted by the end of next season, we won't have a hope in hell of keeping hi. There are precious few decent English Centre Backs and with the likes of Guardiola, Conte et al operating in the Premier League I t'll only be a matter of time before they come calling. I just hope we are seriously realistic about the money we should get for him. I really do believe he'll be better than Stones and look what Man City were prepared to pay for him!

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Kropotkin123 added 01:13 - Nov 28 @blueboy1981 "Maybe the Dino should be renamed Houdini ..... ??" Houdinasauras Rex? For the record, I just found that funny, I'm not in either the in or out camp, as I don't get to go to games from South Korea. But I don't understand, looking in, why people question the support of those disapointed in a win. If you need to have a 147h moment to survive in the long run, then some with gladly opt for that. We all want what is best for the club, we just have different views on what is best and how to get there.

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Minneapolis_ITFC added 02:32 - Nov 28 That was a score many would have not envisaged before game time but the surprise element aside, well done to all involved in providing some much needed relief to the supporters following a thus far largely ineffective campaign. One standout score doesn't make a season and you can't easily overlook the gabage that preceded yesterday's game, but a turn in the right direction and some hope for subsequent games. Believed the season was effectively over in recent weeks but this score alone has brought some additional interest.

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