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[Steve Russell]

Report from Ipswich....

'The visitors took the lead in the seventh minute when a Hayes clearance
was cut out by the Joseph Ajose, who placed into the empty net.

QPR threatened again on 12, when their Steven Bala burst in from the
right and hit a shot wide.

Rangers doubled their lead in the 21st minute when Stan Flaherty cut in from
the right and hit a low shot into the corner of Hayes’s net.

Two minutes later, it was 3-0, Hayes inadvertently passing to Bala from
the left of his box, and Bala stroking home.

The Blues had a better spell as the game passed the half-hour mark, but
on 36 Hayes was caught in possession inside his area, however, Bala shot
across the face.

Three minutes later, Flaherty crossed from the right and Ajose shot over
from beyond the far post. Soon afterwards, Elijah Dixon-Bonner shot
wide from distance.

Half-time came with the Blues having made little impression as an
attacking force, while gifting the visitors two of their goals.

Ahead of the restart, Town swapped defender Dan Cousens for
attacking midfielder Osman Foyo.

Neither side had seriously threatened before the Blues switched Chirewa
for Tom Taylor on 65 with Foyo moving up front.

Three minutes later, Hayes saved from Flaherty from the edge of the
area, then palmed Dixon-Bonner’s follow-up wide.

Nico Valentine (pictured) struck Town’s first shot on goal in the 73rd minute,
but QPR keeper Matteo Salamon plucked his curling effort from out of the air.
Two minutes later, the Blues swapped Ayinde for Harley Curtis.

On 78, Valentine ran onto a Foyo pass down the left and cut in from the
left but Salamon claimed low. Moments later, Flaherty curled a shot from
the right which Hayes palmed away.

Six minutes later, Valentine exchanged passes with Curtis and broke into the
area but a defender slid in to block.

With three minutes left on the clock, Dixon-Bonner curled a shot over the bar
from not far outside the area.

As the game moved into injury time, QPR should have made it 4-0, Dixon-Bonner
heading wide from Flaherty’s cross from the right when it looked easier to score.

That was the last action, the young Blues never really looking like getting back
into it following the three first half goals.

They kept going, however, with Valentine carving out a couple of opportunities,
although QPR never looked in any real trouble and will feel they probably should
have added to their lead.'

Returning keeper Hayes will be frustrated by the first-half errors which led to goals,
but made a couple of sharp saves in the second half.

QPR: Salamon, Drewe, Jude-Boyd, Woodman, Gubbins (Hawkins 52), Aoraha,
Flaherty, Owens (Murphy 75), Bala (Angelov 75), Dixon-Bonner, Ajose.
Unused: Hawkins, Cant, Harrack.