First-half goals from Luke Freeman, direct from a corner, and Tomer Hemed, from the penalty spot, gave QPR a comfortable 2-0 victory over dismal Town at Portman Road, where the Blues remain without a win in more than six months. Freeman curled his flag-kick over keeper Dean Gerken on 13 and Hemed netted from the spot in first-half injury time.

Town boss Paul Hurst named the same XI which started the 3-2 win, the Blues' first of the season, at Swansea a fortnight ago.

That saw Matthew Pennington again at right-back and Janoi Donacien on the left with Jonas Knudsen on the bench, which was also unchanged from the trip to the Liberty Stadium.

Skipper Luke Chambers was over the illness which a number of players had suffered from during the last week and took his usual role at the centre of the defence, while Grant Ward, who we understand was the mystery pre-match injury doubt, was also in the XI.

QPR, wearing a lurid pink away kit, made two changes from the team which drew 1-1 at home with Derby prior to the international break with Hemed and Pawel Wszolek replacing one-time Town trialist Nahki Wells and Jordan Cousins, who dropped to the bench.

The visitors, kicking towards the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand, had the best of the opening few minutes but without creating a chance, although former Blues loanee Massimo Luongo blazed well wide following a corner on eight.

Three minutes later, Rangers went closer when Hemed headed over from another flag-kick.

The West Londoners threatened again on 13 when Wszolek got on to Chambers’s header back towards Gerken as they chased a ball down the right but the keeper saved the Polish international’s shot from a tight angle.

However, directly from the corner the visitors took the lead. Freeman curled the ball in under the bar and Gerken was unable to get enough on it to turn it over.

Town found themselves behind before they had got going via another very preventable goal.

The visitors continued to have most of the ball and make all the running with the Blues unable to string anything together until the half-hour mark when a long spell of passing, largely orchestrated by Andre Dozzell, ended with Gwion Edwards whipping over a cross which was beyond any of his team-mates.

Moments later at the other end, a loose Nsiala pass gave the ball to Wszolek, who broke into the area before his shot was blocked.

Town were showing signs of finally making some headway, however, and they might have levelled on 35. Chalobah broke forward into the right of the box and cut back to an unmarked Ward, who mistimed his shot and the ball looped well wide.

But moments before the break the Blues found themselves 2-0 behind. After they had failed to clear another of Freeman’s corners from the right, the ball fell to Eberechi Eze, who tried to work himself space in the box before Nsiala slid in and upended him.

There was little doubt that it was a penalty and Hemed found the net from the spot with a low shot to Gerken’s left.

The whistle went within seconds to loud boos from the Portman Road crowd after a disastrous half from the Blues.

QPR started the stronger before being gifted their goal by they type of error which has been all to common from Town’s keepers and defence all season.

The Blues had started to get into the game and might have equalised through Ward - their only chance of the half - before QPR were handed their penalty and increased lead via Nsiala’s rash challenge.

QPR almost increased their lead within seconds of the restart. Eke’s boot appeared to be high as he took the ball off Chambers’s head just outside the box but referee Geoff Eltringham failed to whistle. Fortunately for Town Gerken had come off his line quickly and saved from the England U20 international.

QPR skipper Toni Leistner was shown the game’s first yellow card in the 53rd minute for a foul on Sears midway inside the visitors’ half. The freekick was in a potentially dangerous position but Ward’s ball into the box was easy for the QPR defence to deal with.

Four minutes later Wszolek shot from distance straight at Gerken, then on 59 Pennington made a strong run forward from deep and played a ball for Sears but the striker had strayed offside.

QPR keeper Joe Lumley was forced into his first save of the afternoon in the 61st minute to sarcastic cheers from some sections of the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.

Sears broke away on the left and sent a cross behind Edwards at the far post. Chalobah picked the ball up and sent it back in to Ward, whose header was too close to the QPR keeper to seriously trouble him.

Blues boss Hurst made a double change in the 66th minute with Ward and Edwards making way for Kayden Jackson and 18-year-old debutant Jack Lankester, the first player born in the 2000s to appear for the Town first team.

The subs got involved immediately, Jackson breaking away on the left of the box and sending the ball across towards Lankester on the edge of the six-yard box, however a defender cleared ahead of the youngster.

Three minutes later, Gerken saved from Hemed, then on 71 the visitors had another chance to wrap it up when the Blues made a dreadful mess of a freekick in a promising position and Eze was sent away on goal by QPR with Skuse just sliding in to dispossess the youngster as he prepared to shoot.

Former Wycombe Wanderers loanee Eze went closer to his side’s third goal of the game two minutes later, deftly chipping over Gerken from the edge of the box but seeing the ball bounce off the top of the bar and over.

Yet another loose Town pass, this time from Nsiala, gifted the ball to Eze inside the Blues half on 79 but the impressive youngster’s cross was cut out after he had broken into the area.

A third QPR goal was looking far more likely than a Town first but on 84 Sears sent in a low cross from the right which a visiting defender stabbed away from Jackson.

On 89 Lumley was forced to rush of his line to intercept Dozzell’s pass for Jackson to chase, then ran out of his area to complete the clearance before Josh Scowen replaced man of the match Eze.

The final whistle triggered more boos from the Portman Road faithful after probably the Blues’ worst performance of the season.

QPR were the better side from start to finish with Town on the back foot throughout aside from a couple of brief spells in the first half, all too often surrendering possession needlessly and often in dangerous areas.

They continued their season-long habit of gifting goals and in the end the two-goal margin flattered the home side with the visitors spurning a number of chances and Gerken making a couple of important saves.

At the other end, Ward’s first-half opportunity was the only real chance, set pieces in potentially threatening areas were wasted time and again and the result never looked in any doubt once Hemed had stroked home his penalty.

The defeat, the second at home this season, sees the Blues drop to bottom of the table level on points, goal difference and goals scored with Hull City, who climb above them having won the fixture between the sides last month.

Town next have back-to-back away games at Leeds, who are fourth, on Wednesday and at 22nd-placed Millwall next Saturday.

Town: Gerken, Pennington, Nsiala, Chambers (c), Donacien, Skuse, Chalobah, Edwards (Lankester 66), Dozzell, Ward (Jackson 66), Sears. Unused: Bialkowski, Knudsen, Nolan, Graham, Downes.

QPR: Lumley, Rangel, Leistner (c), Lynch, Bidwell, Cameron, Luongo, Freeman, Eze (Scowen 90), Wszolek, Hemed (Wells 72). Unused: Ingram, Hall, Cousins, Smith, Osayi-Samuel. Referee: Geoff Eltringham (County Durham). Att 18,345 (QPR: 1,338).

Photo: TWTD

BlueandTruesince82 added 18:43 - Oct 20 Keep refreshing the page waiting to see Hurst sacked as the headline, not happening. I can only assume the internet in Suffolk is on a go slow and the news will filter through any moment now.
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Philpomr added 18:44 - Oct 20 The best part was the first half, managed to get a nice tan!!! The game zzzzzzzzz.
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blueboy1981 added 18:49 - Oct 20 ...... for those who keep harping on about funds being available - it is not all about funds. Within this Club we have some extremely good young players, not being given a chance - what we have done is brought in untried, lower level players, some who frankly are just not up to it. We also have a Manager who has proved he is totally out of his depth in the Championship - a good Manager doesn't necessarily need a fat cheque book, and that doesn't always lead to success, as has been proved many times. Management ability is required over and above the Cheque Book - such would be of very little, if any, help to Paul Hurst. Making best use of what he has at his disposal already would be a good start for him. Would I release funds for him ? - no I would not, based firmly on what I have seen of him thus far.

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Zondervanromeo added 18:49 - Oct 20 BlueandTruesince82 not the only thing in Suffolk on a go slow
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elcdman added 18:52 - Oct 20 interesting? still no post match intervene,has he been sacked?
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Safetyfirstmrwark added 18:53 - Oct 20 Enough now. Evans please sell up and leave us be
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NoelTheDub added 18:54 - Oct 20 At least Mr Evans dream of league 1 footie is still on.All the millions taken in on players and look at that state our first team.We might have a beautiful garden but we live in a mansion with no bloody roof.Our club is rotten to the core please clear out at least a half dozen players in Jan and go down if so with our youth.Im sick to the pit of my stomach seen or reading about players that are ours or have been turfed out by previous managers doing well at other clubs at our fecking demise.

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Dog added 18:56 - Oct 20 Elcdman - he talks so much rubbish it takes phil an hour to type up. All he needs to say is we were rubbish again, i got the tactics wrong, i am out of my depth and i am off.
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Michael101 added 18:57 - Oct 20 Spot on robsonwark, agreed with everything until the last paragraph.
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44_not_out added 19:01 - Oct 20 MM was ‘forced' out because mid table obscurity and dull football was no longer accepted. A ‘young hungry' manager was the call..... Not sure this could be considered progress. He must go now before any more damage is done!
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Zondervanromeo added 19:05 - Oct 20 Did i hear Hurst Say the international break maybe come at the wrong time Because maybe it had Killed Momentum and the start of our of are 1 game winning run But he is not making excuses what a joke I now think that the win away at Swansea was a complete fluke
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dukey44 added 19:07 - Oct 20 Erm we are bottom for a reason perhaps it's because our manager is out of his depth and his team hasn't a clue about playing the ball forward. 1 up front at home seriously? I wanted Mick out and prepared to give someone a chance well Mr Hurst you had your chance move on now cheers!!
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blueboy1981 added 19:16 - Oct 20 MM just had to go - full stop. Hurst, has come in - out of his depth for sure - not remotely likely for that to change. The key question now is:- Do we want to stay in the Championship ? - if the answer is yes - Evans needs to get someone in NOW who has the proven ability to make better use of what we have at the Club. I am not at all convinced that this is an impossible task for a competent Manager - but not a task for the faint hearted, the longer the current situation goes on. Over to you Mr Evans - you will have to pay the going rate to get the right man. You must act now, because this is NOT going to change, unless you do, and League 1 will soon be nailed on.

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Bluearmy_81 added 19:20 - Oct 20 Can people please stop calling him 'Mr Evans' like he deserves respect and hasn't ruined our club? It makes me feel a little bits sick every time it happens. Thanks
6

SickParrot added 19:27 - Oct 20 Difficult to see how this manager and these players can get enough points to stay up. Hurst's tactics of playing a lone striker who is always isolated, hitting long high balls to a small striker and only ever having 1 or 2 players in the box to receive crosses is ridiculous. If this wasn't bad enough some of his substitutions are mystifying and he has signed at least 4 players who are nowhere near good enough at this level. We have other players who are horribly out of form or whose confidence is shot. I can't see Hurst turning this round but it will be difficult for anybody else to do much better with these players. Got to hope that other teams continue to struggle until another manager can strengthen in the January window but will Evans make the right appointment and release the necessary funds? Unlikely.

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bluesince76 added 19:30 - Oct 20 Marcus screwed up again please sell up.
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shayneitfc added 19:31 - Oct 20 Firstly we can blame ME and Paul hurst but at the same time these players get paid a great deal of money to do a job which they are not doing. While they are walking away with a good wage people are paying out of their hard earned money to watch this awful display of so called football we deserve better than this don't think it's too much to ask to be entertained and given a glimmer of hope that we might actually win a game or a least look like we have a chance too

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blueboy1981 added 19:34 - Oct 20 ........ right now, there is not a worse team than us in the Championship, the table doesn't lie. That's quite shameful because the are several very, very poor teams in the bottom section. An inditement that we are the worst of them all. It has to change, by whatever means necessary.
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dirtydingusmagee added 19:42 - Oct 20 Timmy H, Ive nothing against them, but they cant make a silk purse out of a sows ear as they say.And January wont change anything, we have never done anything then and its going to take too much now to put back what Hurst has thrown away.Make no mistake we will be in a relegation struggle by then, and it would not be fair to expect our largely wasted youth players to dig us out then . Hurst and Evans have f###ed up big time, and the club is going to suffer accordingly.

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runaround added 20:03 - Oct 20 Well that was all to easy for Mr Eze & his friends! Easily the worst performance I've seen this season with Sears & possibly Chalobah the only players to come out of it with any credit. It isn't just that we lost today it's the manner of the defeat that is concerning. Hurst has obviously tried to impose his authority on the club but leaving out a keeper and fullback who were at the World Cup is baffling. Playing a very right footed player at left back & a central defender at right back is silly & it led today to us being too narrow & not having anyone breaking forward to join Sears. 4 massive games coming up in the next 3 weeks and unless there is a big improvement in those games then I think Hurst will have to go. I never thought I'd want a manager to go that quickly but it does seem to be going very wrong. Club feels like it's in a mess and it needs strong leadership on the pitch, training ground, bench AND in the boardroom. Time for Mr Evans & Mr Hurst to step up to the plate

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TractorJed added 20:10 - Oct 20 Possibly the worst squad we have had in 40 years??
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Nobbysnuts added 20:19 - Oct 20 Just watched the play off final against Barnsley to cheer myself up. Now that was a team to be proud of and guess who the manager was? Please sack this clown1🤡 and get Burley back b4 it's to late.
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Geddis78 added 20:32 - Oct 20 Feeling pretty p!ssed off tonight. So many on here wanted change. Wanted a new young manager. Wanted players on their way up, not down. Well, you got what you asked for. It is October. We are worse than this time last year. Entertainment levels even lower than before. You want the guy out. You want Evans out. Get a guy in who hasn't managed in years, ie, Burley. The lunatics are taking over the asylum.

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Vanisleblue2 added 20:46 - Oct 20 We still have Huws and Adyemi coming back! Leeds 6-0 Preston 0-1 eND OF SEASON
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Lightningboy added 20:54 - Oct 20 Well the 2 week break did us the world of good - too many on here got far too carried away with that fluke at Swansea a fortnight ago. This “experiment” is a total disaster - for heaven's sake Evans,bring someone in who knows the club & knows what they're doing before it's way too late. Burley,Klug,Nash & Hogg as a management team please.
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