Sub Bersant Celina celebrated his 21st birthday with a brilliant late goal but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Blues from falling to a 2-1 defeat at QPR. Jamie Mackie and Luke Freeman struck either side of the break to give Rangers a two-goal advantage before Celina smashed home his stunning strike to set up a nervy end for the home team, who held on to claim the three points and inflict Town's first away defeat in this year's Championship.

New loanee Callum Connolly was handed his Blues debut at right-back with Jordan Spence the right centre-half, Dominic Iorfa to his left and Jonas Knudsen returning to left-back.

Town, in their red and black away kit, started with a four-man midfield with Martyn Waghorn on the left, Grant Ward on the right and Cole Skuse and Flynn Downes in the middle with Joe Garner partnering David McGoldrick up front.

Celina was on the bench alongside Freddie Sears and Myles Kenlock - who both dropped out of the team having started the 2-0 home defeat to Fulham a fortnight ago - while Tom Adeyemi was included in the 18 for the first time since his summer move to the Blues.

QPR made three changes with Jack Robinson, Alex Baptiste and Pawel Wszolek replacing Steven Caulker, Darnell Furlong and Matt Smith.

The home side struck the game’s first shot, one-time Town target Conor Washington hitting a low effort through to Bartosz Bialkowski from 25 yards which the keeper claimed comfortably.

QPR went closer in the seventh minute when Massimo Luongo crossed from the right and Washington flicked a header wide at the far post when stretching.

The Blues threatened for the first time soon afterwards, McGoldrick crossing from the right after showing his skills but the ball was headed behind before it reached Garner.

Bialkowski was called into serious action for the first time on 12 when a cross from Wszolek following a corner somehow avoided everyone in the box but was returned from the byline by Luke Freeman, the Blues keeper doing well to punch it out of the danger area.

Town switched to the 4-3-3 system which had looked more likely given the personnel as the game approached the quarter of an hour mark with Waghorn moving to wide on the right.

The Blues had the ball in the net in the 25th minute after Garner had been fed in after good work from Waghorn and McGoldrick but the Blues number 14 had strayed offside.

Just before the half hour, Knudsen crossed from the left. Waghorn sent it back in from the right after Garner claimed to have been fouled - referee Andy Davies wasn’t interested - but McGoldrick was unable to trouble Alex Smithies with his header.

There was a scare for the Blues at the other end almost immediately when a Downes slip allowed Freeman a shot at goal from the edge of the box but Bialkowski batted it away.

Moments later, Iorfa slid in to make a superb challenge as Washington looked to break into the area. On 34 Downes was booked for a foul onMackie.

The home side were continuing to have most of the ball and look the more dangerous side and in the 37th minute Josh Scowen struck a powerful effort from a tight angle on the right which Bialkowski palmed over.

In the 42nd minute Downes sent McGoldrick away with a superb pass but despite several twists and turns the Irish international was unable to find himself the space to shoot. Soon after, Waghorn hit a low effort from distance which Smithies claimed.

However, a minute later, QPR took the lead. After what had looked like a clear handball early in the move by Luongo, Mackie turned Wszolek’s right-wing cross past Bialkowski.

While the Rangers players celebrated stand-in skipper Skuse and Garner remonstrated with referee Davies regarding the handball.

Neither side threatened again before the break with Rangers having deserved to go in ahead, despite the contentious nature of the goal.

The home side had had most of the ball and created most of the game’s chances with Bialkowski much the busier of the keepers.

But, while Smithies hadn’t been seriously tested, Town had got themselves in decent positions on the break on one or two occasions but without making the most of those rare opportunities.

However, they needed a significant improvement after the break if they were to maintain their 100 per cent Championship away record.

McGoldrick curled an effort well over from distance soon after the restart, but in the 48th minute the home side doubled their lead.

Freeman broke towards the edge of the box and wasn’t closed down by Town defenders and was able to toe-poke a shot past Bialkowski to his right.

McGoldrick hit a low shot which failed to trouble Smithies in the 55th minute after being played in by Waghorn, then at the other end Washington hit a low shot which Bialkowski claimed similarly comfortably.

Just after the hour, one-time Blues loanee Luongo unleashed a powerful strike from distance which Bialkowski saved well to his right.

On 64 Washington took down a long ball following a Town attack and hit a shot which Bialkowski again saved well to his right.

The Blues created their best opportunity of the half moments later when Connolly crossed from the right and Knudsen headed wide beyond the far post, the ball have been just too high for Garner.

While Smithies prepared to take the goal-kick and with rain by now falling heavily, Town switched Waghorn and Downes for Sears and debutant Adeyemi.

The Blues just about survived a goalmouth scramble following a corner in the 69th minute before Knudsen required treatment for a head injury after receiving a kick to the head as he nodded clear a subsequent flag-kick.

On 76 Celina took over from Ward with the Blues getting into good positions on occasion but with the final ball all too often behind or short of their target.

Referee Davies was also frustrating the Town players, pulling play back when Garner was in a decent position, then failing to penalise a home defender for a foul on McGoldrick. A minute later, QPR swapped Wszolek for debutant former Exeter winger David Wheeler.

As the final scheduled 10 minutes approached the home side were looking more likely to add to their lead than the Blues were to reduce it. Sub Wheeler went close to a debut goal with a low effort which he screwed past the post following a corner.

On 82 QPR replaced Mackie, who had suffered a knock, and Washington for Kazenga LuaLua and Matt Smith, who almost scored seconds after coming on.

Iorfa beat him to a cross from the left but the ball bounced on top of the grounded on-loan Wolves man before Bialkowski could claim it and the former Fulham man hit a shot which caught a Town player and then the bar on its way into the stand.

Luongo curled a strike not too far wide in the 84th minute, then a minute later Celina gave the Blues late hope with a brilliant first league goal for the Blues.

The Kosovan international received the ball from Knudsen on the left following a throw-in then brought the ball in across several defenders before smashing a brilliant strike past Smithies.

A wonder strike! @BersantCelina smashes one in from range to pull one back for @Official_ITFC ➡️ @EFL highlights from 9pm on @channel5_tv. pic.twitter.com/lkPpBOGJ30– Channel 5 Sport (@Channel5Sport) September 9, 2017

The goal set up a frantic final few minutes. After Freeman was booked for pulling back Sears, Celina returned the cleared resultant freekick to the far post to Connolly, whose goal-bound shot was blocked.

As the game moved into five minutes of injury time, the Blues had an even better chance, Iorfa nodded a Celina freekick to Adeyemi, who took it down with his thigh but hit his shot over.

Debutant Connolly was booked for a foul on LuaLua in the final moments before referee Davies brought the game to a close.

On the balance of the game the home side deserved the three points with the Blues showing little sign of getting back into the match before Celina’s brilliant strike, which if anything was even better than Tom Lawrence’s during the Blues’ last visit to Loftus Road, which ended in the same result.

Town were poor on the ball aside from brief spells and the makeshift defence was somewhat chaotic at times, while the midfield still seemed to be too centred on shoehorning another striker into the side, despite Sears dropping to the bench.

The defeat - Town's first away from home in the Championship this season - sees the Blues drop to fourth in the table.

QPR: Smithies, Bidwell, Onuoha (c), Freeman, Washington (Smith 82), Scowen, Mackie (LuaLua 82), Robinson, Baptiste, Luongo, Wszolek (Wheeler 77). Unused: Lumley, Furlong, Manning, Osayi-Samuel, Wheeler.

Town: Bialkowski, Connolly, Iorfa, Spence, Knudsen, Skuse (c), Downes (Adeyemi 68), Ward (Celina 76), Waghorn (Sears 68), McGoldrick, Garner. Unused: Gerken, Rowe, Kenlock, Woolfenden. Referee: Andy Davies (Hampshire). Att: 14,060 (Town: 2,384).

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truckerblue added 22:25 - Sep 9 Unlike a lot of the pelicans on here I was at the game. Neither team deserved to win and should be been a one all draw all day long. Downes was probably the best out of a half decent bunch out there but Mick can't have a youngster showing the rest up. Skuse should really be demoted to the bench at best Celina should be starting Waghorn should be beside Garner up front and Garner should stop falling I over as soon as someone farts beside him. Plus four or five players involved in the build up to their second goal need to learn how to tackle!!! Stand off them 9 times out if 10 they're gonna score.

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oldegold added 22:41 - Sep 9 Was your mouth out truckerblue...remember this site is for people to express their opinions and if they clash with yours, it doesn't give you the right to demonstrate to all and sundry what a weakling you are..now just cut it out. Typically turgid MM display..never was going to be a game where he set his stall out to win but rather neutralize (bore) the opponents. As usual no attacking instinct and no desire to actually win the game. Players once again being played out of position and apart from Downes, youth being discarded. It's all reverting to type and with his brand of anti-football, it's going to get worst. Early season honeymoon is over...bland football, out of the league cup.. Mind I never thought things would change anyway and never fell for the hype. Time for management change whilst the season is still young.

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truckerblue added 22:59 - Sep 9 Oldgold as you rightly said this is a site to express opinions. I expressed mine and if it doesn't agree with yours then suck it up buttercup and deal with it and don't even bother with the name calling as you really are showing yourself up to be the keyboard warrior you really are.
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Currie10 added 23:08 - Sep 9 " I can't really see where we have improved on last season. Strikers are better " Comments like this get +19, you can't make it up. Beat Bolton and 5/7 will be a great start in my opinion. Not going to go unbeaten away, decent side QPR. COYB.
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Currie10 added 23:08 - Sep 9 " I can't really see where we have improved on last season. Strikers are better " Comments like this get +19, you can't make it up. Beat Bolton and 5/7 will be a great start in my opinion. Not going to go unbeaten away, decent side QPR. COYB.
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GiveusaWave added 23:10 - Sep 9 Changing manager after MM has been nominated for Manager of the Month might be a tad hasty....who would you suggest anyway Oldegold? The new manager would have no real money to spend, and only have access to free transfers....
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oldegold added 23:32 - Sep 9 Guentchev...it might appear a tad hasty but I can see the whole season going down the pan as McCarthy will revert to type..he is not going to change and we need someone who can bring the Ipswich way of playing football and excitement back too. He is merely playing out the last year of his contract and won't walk as he stands to lose a lot of money but we need a forward thinking manager who goes out to attack. I'm fed up of hearing the words..put a shift in,grafting,hoofing...I want us to play like we did under BFJ and George Burley. He keeps playing his favourites like Skuse who doesn't cut the mustard, Ignores youngsters like Kenlock and plays inferior players like Knudsen as it would be an admission of failure, plays players out of position when we thought he had stopped doing that and learnt his lesson but no, and we have a good crop of youngsters but he doesn't play them, and we bring in loanees when we have Emmanuel who should have bedded in the position in the last two years but gets sent off to Rotherham as he criticized MM after the Cardiff match last season. And the football is so boring... Bring in a young adventurous manager with forward thinking ideas.....and in the meanwhile bring back George Burley as that would reignite enthusiasm at Portman Road after the deudgery of the last two years.

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GiveusaWave added 23:44 - Sep 9 I do agree with a lot of what you say Oldegold. The football is far from perfect and we concede possession too cheaply. Do think the number of injuries we've had has taken it's toll, alongside the fact that we failed to sign an experienced centre back. A number of people are using the term "makeshift', and sadly I do think that's us right now. We are constantly having to play players out of position which is never good. I'm not a MIck outer or a MIck inner. Just feel it'd be hard for any manager right now.

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Tractorboy1985 added 23:44 - Sep 9 Jimmy p45.. on the golf day 18th October.. I'll put OUR view forward! We are going no where with the pathetic SKUSE in our team! Get rid Mick!!!!!
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MicksZzzTactics added 23:45 - Sep 9 Please try to remember all you hate-mongering people predominantly seeing yourselves as the REAL / TRUE Ipswich Town fans @StirlingArcher included, this good old axiom: That when you start to or as customary for TWTD = repeatedly **BIAAACTCH** about other people "moaning" (regardless of whether those people incentives to "moan" are well-founded or unfounded ...or perhaps even more importantly whether their comments really constitutes "moaning" in the first place or maybe something linguistically different :-) like say in actuality just a mere comment/expression of realism and/or non-rosytinted objectivity???!!! as for instance @TimmyH claims to have done) you are By Definition, or if you soooo prefer dearest @StirlingArcher: IN FACT lol, very much "guilty" of basically moaning your bloody self!

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KiwiTractor added 23:46 - Sep 9 Agree with comments on here re MM once again playing players out of position (in midfield not defence). I hoped things had changed from last season but unfortunately not - I expecting us to slowly slide down the table and sit just above the bottom 3. A QPR mate of mine just sent me a text to say that Ipswich didn't turn up, he was surprised as how poor we were. Unfortunately I trust his judgement.

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MicksZzzTactics added 00:16 - Sep 10 And as @TimmyH and also others have referred to our 4-0 start was In FACT :-) a lot less then "Brilliant" (see below) ...if *only* one CARES to look beyond the mere points-haul! ...but then again the vast majority of the MICK-INNERS are and have always been: Extremely 1-dimensional point & result fixated only football fans aren't they now??? lol As in that exact regard I can recall an awful lot of posts here on TWTD throughout the dreaded / delightful 'Jurassic Era' :-) at ITFC having a core message very similar to this here made-up sample: "Don't lose sleep or care much care about how Mick & the team set-up and eventually play; Or how we might lose out heavily in most *positive* game-stat categories; Or how unequivocally fortuitous we possibly were judged over the entire 95 minutes ... JUST as long as we get at least that according to Guru Mick himself 1 "excellent" point but preferably nick all 3!" or words to that effect. So while on the one hand I fully subscribe to the presumption that there cannot be any serious & mentally sound football fan out there disputing that a maximum 12 points from ANY team's first 4 league games is indeed quote "Brilliant" ...from an isolated points-haul perspective, aye even "Brilliant" considering the beleaguered Dinosaur in charge of our particular team benefited immensely from the gracious fortune of the sheer EASINESS of the early part of ITFC's The Championship schedule!, on the other hand though not only does a lot of the *neutral* IN-DEPTH review of these 4 games but especially and very overwhelmingly the fully scrutinized game stats tell & paint a quite different and everything but all-embracing rosy rosy [read: "Brilliant"] story & picture! Personally I haven't attended and seen all 6 league games, but nevertheless there is clearly more than enough "evidence" to form this humble opinion of mine (apparently shared by several other of the more hmmmm 'realistic & objective' among the esteemed TWTD members here tonightlol): That when you take all info & stats into consideration we have IN FACT :-) been ridding high in the early goings ....predominantly by relying very heavily on a rather joyful mixture of: The familiar uber MOTM talents of nearly always highly in-game rated Mr. Bialkowski, whimsical Madame Fortuna's strange fondness with the beleaguered Mr. McCarthy when he needs it the most, and of course some opposing players fairly poorly adjusted "cross hairs"! Cause in pretty much every match except against at the time the rather offensively anemic looking Birmingham we have literally been BOMBARDED!!!, which even considering our injuries doesn't sound or bodes well at all for an defensive orientated hedgehog-susceptible team like ours with it's archaic self-proclaimed defensive mastermind at the helm) as well as heavily out-shot in total as seen for example when looking at the 'Total Shots': ITFC vs Birmingham: Total Shots 12-13 ; Shots On Target 2-3 Barnsley vs ITFC: Total Shots 25-9! ; Shots On Target 10-2 Milwall vs ITFC: Total Shots 23-8!! ; Shots On Target 6-4 ITFC vs Brentford: Total Shots 5-22!!! ; Shots On Target 3-6 ITFC vs. Fulham: Total Shots 6-18 ; Shots On Target 2-7 QPR vs. ITFC: Total Shots 21-12 ; Shots On Target 8-2 (Also note that the opposition has hit the woodwork a total of 4 times to our very hollow sounding 0! ... not to mention those OTHER pivotal game-stats so far generally not being an especially nice reading afterwards for most Ipswich Town fans). Alas my final advice: PleaZzze don't jump on Grandiose Delusions Master Mick's latest verbal bandwagon "We were 2nd best but very UNLUCKY today!" [Luongo's alleged handball], cause not only have we been "2nd best" in a heck of lot of departments in a heck of LOT of these 6 games! but we could fundamentally very easily have been 2-2-0, 1-3-0 or even 1-2-1 after Mick's much talked about "Brilliant" opening 4 matches ...as with a little less BART and a little less LUCK bestowed on us we could not only very easily have fewer points but also a seriously seriously grimmer 'Goal Difference' after these 6 league games than our currently +2 (10-8) as well!

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BrettenhamBlue added 00:27 - Sep 10 Mickszzzzzzztactics Worth reading the QPR forums related to this game."loft for words" is one of the major ones (Harry from Bath put up link on match preview). Basically, from viewing us over 90 mins they think the same thing. They see us as a relegation side, with Bart as our potential saviour. They rate Spence and Celina but can't believe we are a Championship unit. We are "an accident waiting to happen" according to one poster.

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BrettenhamBlue added 00:29 - Sep 10 And let's not forget. MM used to favour Gerken over Bart for months, He had Spence and decided not to sign him until we were desperate. And Celina hasn't started yet.
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geminimustang added 07:17 - Sep 10 jas0999 "left us with only 3 known centre backs". It's finance,it's not MM.I want the club to spend more money but ME knows how to run a business.The easiest way to make a £1M profit in football is to spend £10M but at some point,you may not have a club.
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Swn98 added 08:05 - Sep 10 Were you at the game oldgold Knudsen had a good game we played some nice touches of football if Celina had started I think we could of swung the momentum of the game in our favour.
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SpiritOfJohn added 08:22 - Sep 10 Knudsen and Spence were beginning to form a decent partnership at the heart of the defence, so why disrupt the whole back four? Mick could have made minimal changes by switching Connolly for Iorfa, who looked like a giraffe on roller skates against Fulham.
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northblue added 09:11 - Sep 10 See all the moaners have come out of the woodwork. If they are that good on which team we should play why don't they go into management.
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ShropshireBluenago09 added 09:17 - Sep 10 Didnt watch but very suprised knudsen was back at left back, was very good at centre back v Fulham
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dubblue added 10:19 - Sep 10 Was at the match and we were poor. Main problem was we were ineffective i midfield resulting in more pressure on our makeshift defence. Up front Didz tried but we really rarely looked lime scoring. Celina's goal came from nowhere and set us for a grandstand fin ish. He must play next week!
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blackcat added 11:11 - Sep 10 I fear normal service is being resumed, sadly
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warktheline added 11:46 - Sep 10 The odd fool again mentioning 'moaning'. Wasn't so long ago when 'many' were spouting how McCarthy had proved all and sundry wrong! Convinently the new additions were not the reason behind 'magnifico' unreal start to season, but injuries are, for his fall from grace! Sorry you can't have it both ways! As I've already stated , I'll give your 'messiah' 'stay of execution' due to his 'sick note' predicament, but I'm far from convinced his 'methods' will change long term. What I will say is even though our squad is small, they have the potential to 'excite'.....if McCarthy can't deliver (4 years and some and still waiting) then it'll a be high time someone else were given a chance. Coincidently I watched 'that man Cowley' again turn a game on its head yesterday !!! One down, then down to 10 men!!!....yes you know the score by now! 1-2!

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cat added 11:48 - Sep 10 I stated at the start of the season, I would give it till October to pass judgement on where we are at with style, systems, favourites (lol to that one!) or Manager, but I'm getting to the stage where I'm proper 'chomping at the bit' now, but I will keep it restrained, for now!! PJewellisaGod Ref your last post - "let's not forget" Yeah, let's not forget that it was only a few weeks ago you were calling out the likes of MZT and fellow anti MMers (inc myself) when you jumped the good ship 'negativity' and got carried away on that 'wave' of positivity!! and here you are now getting all cosy again. Swing with the Sway, PJ

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Ipswichbusiness added 12:34 - Sep 10 We went into this match with a long injury list. However, JAS0999 points out correctly that since last season we have lost three centre-backs, signed none, leaving us reliant on just three, two of which have bad injury records. Spence, Irofa and Knudsen I'm sure are doing their best, but they are full-backs being played out of position. I don't know how much the loan signings of Irofa and Connelly cost, but wouldn't the money have been better put towards a permanent signing of a centre-back? We are only ten days into September, but the euphoria of August seems a long way away ...

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bressinghamblue added 13:56 - Sep 10 Sadly did not go to this one, so opinion only based on Radio Suffolk commentary. From the sounds of that, MM is back to the usual 'nullify the opposition set-up. That was the case against Fulham and we were soundly beaten. Likewise against QPR and beaten less soundly. When will he learn to unleash the talent in the team, playing square pegs in square holes, set up to create opportunities? I fear Waggy will become another Sears. It's great having 4x strikers plus Celina. Pick two. Play Celina on the wing. Rotate if form drops and at 60 minutes in to give a tiring opposition something new to worry about. Same old MM for me. He's reached nose-bleed territory and reverted to type. It's really sad.

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