Independent Rs Messageboard

[Steve Russell]

Report from the Club...

'ILIAS Chair hit a second-half hat-trick as QPR ultimately ran out hugely comfortable winners over FC L’Escala
in our second fixture of pre-season.

Harry Murphy (minutes 12 and 21) and Hevertton Santos (75 and 82) also bagged braces apiece in a contest
where Rangers’ superior fitness levels ultimately told following a flurry of goals towards the death.

Chair’s trio came following goals in minutes 55, 86 and 88. Michael Frey (17), Paul Smyth (43), Daniel Bennie (81)
and Sinclair Amrstrong (87) were also on target in the searing Girona heat.

Following last Friday’s opening pre-season win over UE Santa Coloma, R’s boss Martí Cifuentes once again fielded
separate XIs in each half against our Spanish fifth-tier opponents.

Goalkeeper Paul Nardi was handed his QPR debut and took his place among the posts for the opening 45 minutes.

Nardi’s new team-mates were dominant in the first period and that was reflected in the four-nil scoreline at half-time.

Sam Field looked to be taken off as a precautionary measure just five minutes in after picking up a knock - but his
replacement, Murphy, was the star of the show in the opening half.

As Rangers edged ever closer to their opponents’ goal early on, Lorent Talla shot marginally wide in the 11th minute.

But the R’s would strike only a minute later. Talla was involved as Martí’s men pressed high and that was eventually
rewarded with a mistake as Rayan Kolli fed Murphy to slide home from close range.

QPR doubled the advantage on 17 minutes, as Smyth teased his marker down the right before hanging the up ball for
Frey at back post who headed home from point-blank range.

With Rangers now in complete control, Murphy - in his maiden pre-season with the first team - doubled his tally on
21 minutes, with Talla’s initial free-kick touched on by Jack Colback for the young midfielder to slide home from 20 yards.

And after Kolli’s fierce effort from distance flew just wide of the post, Smyth rounded off the first-half scoring on
43 minutes - racing away from the opposing defence before audaciously lifting the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper.

Armstrong spearheaded Rangers’ attack for the second half with recent arrivals Liam Morrison and Santos also introduced
as part of the new XI after half-time.

Armstrong so nearly made it five-nil only 30 seconds after the restart, shooting wide following a dangerous low cross from
Santos.

L’Escala made a brighter start to the closing period and Rangers had the crossbar to thank for keeping our clean sheet
intact in the 53rd minute following an opposing breakaway.

However, just two minutes later, QPR did add a fifth goal. Elijah Dixon-Bonner’s cutting pass put Armstrong in the clear
and, when he subsequently squared the ball to Chair, the Moroccan produced the easiest of finishes from eight yards.

Chair looked to return the favour just short of the hour mark, but Armstrong could only blaze over from close range after
meeting the former’s cutback from the left.

Rangers spurned plenty more chances to add a sixth goal, while Morrison had a headed effort disallowed for offside.

The R’s did eventually make it six-nil on 75 minutes, though. Chair’s initial blast was spilled by the goalkeeper, with Santos
first to the loose ball to shoot into the roof of the net for his very first QPR goal.

L’Escala appeared to grow extremely tired during the final quarter-hour and Rangers took full advantage.

Bennie netted shortly after his arrival for his own maiden R’s goal, meeting Chair’s centre to finish. Then the floodgates
really did open as Santos drilled home eight minutes from time and Chair curled in on 86 minutes.

The final goals, 10 and 11, arrived when Armstrong latched onto a Jimmy Dunne pass before dinking the ball over the
‘keeper, then Chair grabbed his hat-trick goal when applying another routine finish from 10 yards.

Rangers will now spend one more night in Girona before flying back to London on Friday ahead of our final three
pre-season friendlies in the coming weeks, versus Tottenham, Reading and Brighton.

QPR (first half): Nardi, Cannon, Cook, Clarke-Salter, Larkeche, Colback, Field (Murphy 5), Smyth, Talla (Lloyd 27), Kolli, Frey.

QPR (second half): Salamon, Santos, Dunne, Morrison, Fox, Paal, Dixon-Bonner, Tuck (Bennie 70), Andersen, Chair, Armstrong.'

[ESSEXURs]

Followed on X and various comments that the new boys looked good.
Obviously weak opposition but a win is a win and a good work out for the squad and the new boys.