George Hirst put the Blues in front after 68 seconds but Rumarn Burrell equalised for QPR on 21 to leave the scoreline 1-1 at half-time at Loftus Road.

Town were forced into one change from the team which beat West Brom 1-0 at Portman Road last Saturday with Marcelino Nunez coming in at number 10 for the injured Sammie Szmodics, who underwent minor knee surgery earlier in the week.

Aside from the Irish international’s absence, the Blues fielded the same XI from last weekend, however, striker Ivan Azon was missing from the subs due to an unspecified knock.

Ben Johnson and Cameron Humphreys came onto the bench alongside Chuba Akpom, who was fit enough to be involved despite suffering a heavy knock against the Baggies.

The home side made four changes with Liam Morrison, Esquerdinha, Isaac Hayden and Ilias Chair coming into the side for Amadou Mbengue, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Jonathan Varane and Koki Saito, who were all among the subs.

Town, wearing their all red away kit, went ahead in the 68th second via the first attack of the game.

Sindre Walle Egeli went round the outside of Esquerdinha on the right and stood up a cross from George Hirst who rose high to head across Paul Nardi in the QPR goal and into the corner of the net from eight yards.

The Town fans at the other end of the ground delightedly celebrated the Scotland international’s fourth goal of the season, which had given the Blues the lead away from home for the first time this season.

Hayden struck Rangers’ first effort of the game from 25 yards in the seventh minute having been found in space by Chair in, but his low shot gave Christian Walton in the Town goal no trouble.

A minute later, Hirst charged the ball down on the left but the sliding Nunez was unable to get enough on his overhit cross. However, it reached Walle Egeli out on the right and the Norwegian U21 international cut in a hit a shot which flew only just over the bar.

On 11, with QPR unable to get the ball out of their own half, Azor Matusiwa played in Philogene on the left of the area but the former Aston Villa man couldn’t get enough height on his cross from the byline and Nardi was able to pluck out of the air.

The home side began to see more of the ball and in the 21st minute they levelled. Walle Egeli stood off Chair, who took it inside before hitting a shot which Walton saved but was only able to push out, Rumarn Burrell reacting quickest to tap home the rebound.

The Town players appealed for an offside but no flag was forthcoming and replays suggested correctly.

Having conceded, the Blues found themselves under the cosh for a spell, Matusiwa knocking a cross from the right behind, then on 27 Walton spilled a ball in from the same flank under pressure, before it was turned behind for a corner. Following the flag-kick, Harvey Vale shot wide from just outside the box.

Town began to re-establish themselves in the game, Vale picking up the game’s first yellow card for tripping Leif Davis as the left-back went past him on the touchline. Moments earlier, Walle Egeli looked to have been brought down just outside the box but with referee Sam Allison not showing any interest.

On 34, following a long Darnell Furlong throw from the right, O’Shea clipped a ball into the middle from the right of the box after good work from Walle Egeli. Hirst headed goalwards but Morrison got his head in the way to divert it behind.

The resultant corner was punched away from under the bar by Nardi, the ball reached Philogene on the edge of the box and the winger’s strike flew not too far over.

Two minutes later, the game was halted for O’Shea to receive treatment after being caught by a Richard Kone elbow, much to the annoyance of the Town players, but with referee Allison showing no inclination to show a card.

After play restarted, the Blues’ passing out from the back was charged down, then at the other end Philogene found some space to cut into from the left but Nardi dealt with his low shot comfortably.

There was a big scare for Town, who had again had more than their fair share of sloppy moments at the back, in the 39th minute when O’Shea allowed Kone to steal the ball from him midway inside the Blues’ half to the left. The Irish international got back to force the Ivorian wide, but the former Wycombe man was still able to get in a shot, which Walton pushed away.

This time, Town got on the loose ball but Jack Taylor’s pass back into the area to Cedric Kipre was beyond the centre-half and gave away a needless corner.

Moments before the whistle at the end of two additional minutes, Davis was played in in space on the left after a well-worked move but with the linesman’s flag raised.

The Blues got off to the perfect start with the early goal, something they’d failed to score in their previous away games, and for a spell afterwards they were well on top.

However, they had become scruffier and QPR had began to see more of the ball, even if the leveller came out of very little with the Blues’ defending leaving a fair bit to be desired and Walton likely feel he ought to have dealt with the shot much better.

QPR were the better side in the latter stages but with the game there to be won by either side after the break.

QPR: Nardi, Dunne (c), Morrison, Cook, Esquerdinha, Hayden, Madsen, Vale, Chair, Kone, Burrell. Subs: Hamer, Mbengue, Norrington-Davies, Field, Varane, Smyth, Poku, Saito, Frey.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Davis, Matusiwa, Taylor, Walle Egeli, Nunez, Philogene, Hirst. Subs: Button, Young, Johnson, Greaves, Cajuste, Humphreys, McAteer, J Clarke, Akpom. Referee: Sam Allison (Wiltshire).

Photo: Matchday Images

WalkRules added 16:00 - Nov 1 Hope somebody gives O'Shea a map of the pitch at half time as he does not seem to know the right hand side of the pitch exists.
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johnwarksshorts added 17:00 - Nov 1 Nunez!
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