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QPR 3-0 Ipswich Town - Match Report
Wednesday, 26th Dec 2018 16:59

Goals from Pawel Wszolek, Joel Lynch and Nahki Wells saw QPR to a comfortable 3-0 victory over the Blues at Loftus Road. Wszolek profited from Town mistakes to open the scoring on the half hour, Lynch headed the second on 34 and Wells added the third on 74 as the bottom-of-the-table Blues slipped back to seven points from safety.

Town boss Paul Lambert made two changes from the team which drew 1-1 with Sheffield United on Saturday with Flynn Downes and Grant Ward coming into the side for Andre Dozzell and Gwion Edwards, who dropped to the bench.

Ward played in the wide right role Edwards occupied against the Blades, while Downes came into the centre of midfield. The home side made one change with Lynch replacing Jordan Cousins, who was among their subs.

QPR struck the game’s first shot, Ebere Eze cutting in from the left and hitting a low effort which Dean Gerken claimed comfortably, while ex-Blues loanee Massimo Luongo was in their midfield.

In the fifth minute Blues skipper Luke Chambers was yellow-carded for colliding with Darnell Furlong just outside the area, the central defender feeling he was the man fouled.

Luke Freeman curled the resultant freekick just under Gerken’s bar and the keeper turned it over with little fanfare.

QPR enjoyed much the greater share of the ball in the opening minutes without threatening further, but on 10 Downes won the ball in midfield and fed Ward, who in turn played it to Jon Nolan to his right. However, the ex-Shrewsbury man’s cross was too long for Downes, who had broken into the box.

Moments later, Ellis Harrison was played on on the left but the Welshman sent the ball in before any of his team-mates had made a run.

But it was still QPR for the most part and they could well have gone in front in the 17th minute. Freeman rode a couple of tackles down the left before cutting back but slightly behind one-time Blues trialist Wells and the ball ricocheted off his heels and away from goal.

The Blues, with owner Marcus Evans watching from the stands, threatened again in the 20th minute when Matthew Pennington flicked a header from a corner on the left towards the far post but no one was able to apply the final touch.


Town’s best passage of play of the half led to a Nolan chance in the 23rd minute. After good work from Sears and Harrison, Downes played a clever ball for Nolan to chase and, with no options in the centre, the midfielder hit a low shot from an angle on the left which QPR keeper Joe Lumley palmed away to safety.

The Blues were beginning to get more into the game and in the 26th minute, shortly after skipper Luke Chambers had been treated for a head injury, Nolan played a delightful ball over the QPR backline for Harrison. The former Bristol Rovers man looped the ball towards goal from a tight angle on the right but just over.

However, right on the half hour the home side took the lead with Town playing a major part in their own downfall.

Nolan tried to play the ball back to his central defenders from wide on the right but only found Wells. The Bermudian brought it forward before hitting a low shot which Gerken could only paw away to his left and Wszolek was the first to react to hammer the rebound home from close range.

Four minutes later, it was 2-0. Freeman sent a freekick over from deep on the left and Lynch got ahead of Pennington to nod to Gerken’s right and into the net of the keeper’s despairing right hand.

The Blues looked to get back into the game after QPR’s quick-fire double. On 37 Pennington headed well over from a corner on the left when he will feel he ought to have done better.

Goalscorer Wszolek was booked for wiping out Nolan in the 43rd minute with neither team going close to adding to the goals before the break.

Having remained resolute in the early part of the half which QPR had dominated, the Blues started to make some headway and created a couple of chances before gifting the home side their opener.

Nolan presumably didn’t see Wells when he made his pass while Gerken will feel he ought to have bundled the ball away from goal if he wasn’t going to keep hold of it.

The second goal two minutes later came from a well-taken freekick but boss Lambert will believe it should have been defended far better.

Town needed a big second half if they were to take anything from the game but it was the home side who started the period brightest, Freeman hitting an early low effort towards the near post which Gerken claimed at the second attempt. On 49 Jordan Spence was booked for a foul on Lynch.

Following a 52nd minute Blues corner, Nolan stabbed the ball out to Trevoh Chalobah, who hit a 20-yard shot which looked goalbound until Lumley got across to palm it wide.

Ten minutes later, Ward was replaced by Jack Lankester having suffered a knock in a challenge moments earlier and been carried to the tunnel on a stretcher.

Town were seeing a lot of the ball and competently passed it around but rarely in dangerous areas and without creating a chance, while QPR were happy enough with their two-goal lead and didn’t looked particularly concerned about adding to it. On 70 Nolan was replaced by Jordan Roberts as the Blues moved to 4-4-1-1, while Ilias Chair took over from Eze for Rangers.

The home side completed what was a victory won at a canter in the 74th minute when sub Chair was somehow allowed to cut the ball back from the byline on the right to Wells, who had time to hit a shot on the turn across Gerken and into the corner of the net.

Having netted their third, QPR loosened the shackles and went looking for a fourth. Wszolek was thwarted by Gerken, then Chambers blocked Wells from the rebound, before Roberts curled a shot just over at the other end.

Rangers sub Bright Osayi-Samuel saw an effort blocked from close range moments after coming on, just prior to the fourth official indicating three additional minutes.

The final whistle confirmed a thoroughly disappointing afternoon for the Blues who had begun to make some headway when they conceded QPR’s two first-half goals, the first of which was seasonally gift-wrapped for Steve McClaren’s side.

In the second half, although Town saw more of the ball and moved the ball around well at times, they rarely did so in dangerous areas and never laid a glove on the visitors who were given another late Christmas present to cement their lead with 16 minutes remaining.

A bad afternoon all round for the Blues with results elsewhere seeing the sides above them move away and the gap to safety stretch back to seven points plus goal difference ahead of a difficult trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday.

QPR: Lumley, Furlong, Leistner, Lynch, Bidwell, Wszolek, Scowen, Luongo, Freeman (Osayi-Samuel 88), Eze (Chair 70), Wells (Oteh 84). Unused: Ingram, Hall, Cousins, Smith.

Town: Gerken, Spence, Chambers (c), Pennington, Knudsen, Chalobah, Downes, Nolan (Roberts 70), Ward (Lankester 62), Sears, Harrison. Unused: Bialkowski, Edwards, Jackson, Dozzell, Kenlock. Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire). Att: 14,584 (Town: 1,288).


Photo: Pagepix



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BraveDave added 23:18 - Dec 26
LightningBoy - you are wrong, plain and simple. Today was a woeful performance from our team, and Nolan's error cost us the first goal. However, anyone who was there watching today will tell you that Nolan was the only player who was demanding the ball throughout, trying to make things happen and running his socks off. Compare that to Downes, who went missing for huge periods. No one is up to the task, but to single Nolan out for anything other than criticism for the first goal shows that you don't read the game at all
3

Minneapolis_ITFC added 02:42 - Dec 27
Maybe the players indulged in too much food and wine over the last few days, maybe they don't realize the danger the club is in or it's too premature to worry over anything at this stage of a season.

Can't put a precise answer on it but reading replies and game analysis seems we didn't really try out there and no dispute in an opposition victory. Sure we got one or two players who wear the colors with pride and go out to win but there's too many others who don't seem to bother and collectively we don't got nowhere near enough to feasibly expect a clean exit from the relegation positions.

Shame one of those drone contraptions that were evident at Gatwick just recent weren't in force over the stadium today. Could have canceled the game before time and saved another sorry ass score and performance. 'Happy' holidays to all Town fans wherever you find them.
2

GiveusaWave added 04:36 - Dec 27
This "relegation battle" will be over by Valentine's Day if we don't get our act together.....

We need:

Boro Ipswich: Draw
Ipswich Millwall Win
Ipswich Rotherham Win
Blackburn Ipswich Draw
Villa Ipswich Draw

That would give us 9 points in January which realistically would still leave us in the bottom 3 but at least we'd be showing some fight.....

Of course...if Millwall and Rotherham pick up good results we could still be off the pace even with these results....




1

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 06:47 - Dec 27
Boro play McCarthyesque defensive football. Realistically, can't see our almost non-existent goal "threat" breaching that protective barrier. Still, Harrison might just surprise us, so I'm hoping for a break on Saturday.
0

dirtydingusmagee added 08:11 - Dec 27
its not over till the fat lady sings, trouble is she is near the end of rehearsals. Dont know who is likely to be shipped in to turn things around ,Its easy to list names , but enticing them in our position is another matter, If we dont turn Millwall and Rotherham over, then nothing short of a miracle in its true sense will save us, the curtain will fall.SAD WORRYING TIMES.
1

runaround added 09:52 - Dec 27
Very poor all round. Paul Lambert is the best man we could have in the current situation however with what he has to work with his chances of success are limited.
My hope is that Sunderland were in a worse state lady season than we are currently now but look at them now, near the top of league one & got a crowd in excess of 46000 yesterday. The fans have stuck with them which is what we need to do to help heal our club. In amongst all the rubbish we have some decent players that we need to build the team around
0

brittaniaman added 10:23 - Dec 27
Evans might be putting in 5mil to keep us afloat this season, if we go down he will probably need to put in 10mil to keep us afloat in div. one, with less income from commercial interests, gate prices lower, and I might imagine less fans
So get the Cheque Book out Marcus for your Benefit to save money next season !!!!!!!!!
0

hancockingoal added 11:42 - Dec 27
I don't believe that the effort of the players can be questioned, they give their all and are an honest bunch. What is obvious is a lack of quality and in some players a lack of confidence (Bart for some reason an obvious example). Murphy has never been replaced and going back further, neither has David Wright or Jim Magilton. I thought that young Emmanuel had real potential but the three recent managers do not appear to share my opinion? The lack of a cutting edge that a Magilton type player offers is the most obvious problem and until we can offer a consistent threat then I am afraid the only way is down.
Under the current owner, unless he is willing or even able to provide huge sums to buy quality then we have to accept the situation. The championship is brutal and not a platform for youngsters to develop their potential, sadly the Beatties only come around once a lifetime! Lets hope for a miracle.
-1

Swn98 added 11:49 - Dec 27
Most fans wanted MM gone because of the style of football,
well the football is marginally better and we are rock bottom strange what some people wish for.
Must admit as strange as it may seem i find myself agreeing with Blueboy on most of his points.
Happy new year to all contributors.
5

ITFCsince73 added 15:19 - Dec 27
Hippo. Very, very well put. Giving a perfect insight to our biggest weakest links. AKA...The untouchables. Captain calamity who will eventually go down as our poorest ever captain.
But for now still cherished by so many as a great bloke. Great leader. Great club man. Wears his heart on his sleeve. Blah blah bla.
3

ITFCsince73 added 15:57 - Dec 27
Hancockingoal. They give there all? I refuse to believe they are that bad.
Honest? I feel totally mugged off, at the halfway point.
Yes the lack of quality is there for all to see.
Lack of confidence? Our preferred back four feels me with dread the moment a foot has been made on the pitch.
Lack of a cutting edge? This may have something to do with Freddie hugging the touch line throughout the game, every game. Him being a centre forward. And possibly our biggest threat to create any cutting edge.
1

hancockingoal added 22:24 - Dec 27
Sorry ITFCsince73, I do not see players lacking in effort but lacking in quality. You mention the back four, I rest my case, lack of quality. Freddie is a striker who feeds off quality service. a cutting edge creates that service for Freddie to thrive! You could play Messi or Ronaldo up front but they would struggle with the lack of chances created!
1

Essexipswichboy added 09:37 - Dec 28
If you look at the stats for this one.... We wasn't doing bad
Goals change games we know this their first goal was a gift
Straight away heads and confidence goes.
Jon Nolan mistake changed the game.... Unfortunately he is a hurst man how many clubs has he played for him at
He should not be there simple as
1

RobsonWark added 18:55 - Dec 28
I've said this time and time again...we will not win anything with CAPTIAN CALAMITY in the team! Chamber's is sooooooooooooooooo f'ing useless. Get that useless tw*t out of the club or we will be going down. How many mistakes did he make again???
0


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