Ipswich Town proved to be a tough match for QPR but were eventually broken by two second-half goals as the Championship leaders ran out 2-0 winners at Loftus Road on Tuesday.
Paul Jewell named the expected Town lineup with just one change from the draw against Hull, Jimmy Bullard returning to the midfield in place of Andy Drury who dropped to the bench. Defender Danny Shittu made his second debut for QPR having rejoined the club in January, whilst former Town target Pascal Chimbonda was named on the hosts’ bench.
Rangers created the first chance of the match with 5 minutes gone, Gareth McAuley clearing the ball away from Wayne Routledge coming forward before Clint Hill headed over from the resulting corner. At the other end, Grant Leadbitter had Town’s first shot on 10 minutes, trying his luck with a 25 yard shot which curled away from the left hand post.
QPR might be top of the table, but as the first half progressed, it was Ipswich who were increasingly dictating the match. Leadbitter had a shot blocked by Fitz Hall before Connor Wickham went on an impressive run forward, only for his final effort to be charged down. The hosts meanwhile were creating little, with most moves breaking down and the Town defence coping comfortably when called upon.
With half an hour gone, the Blues were still enjoying the bulk of possession and continued to create plenty of chances. Hall made a great last-ditch challenge to deny Leadbitter’s goal-bound shot before the Town captain struck another effort well off target after Bullard’s free kick had been headed away. Wickham then drew the first save of the match from Hoops keeper Paddy Kenny who got down to push away the teenager’s low cross at the near post.
As the half drew to a close, QPR slowly began to come back into the game. Adel Taarabt demonstrated some trademark trickery before his effort from the edge of the box was closed down well by McAuley. Former QPR defender Damien Delaney was then on hand to block Hall before Jewell was forced into a substitution, sending on Andy Drury after Colin Healy looked to have picked up an injury. Two minutes later, the impressive Bullard had another shot blocked on the edge of the area.
Just before the half time whistle, Marton Fulop did well to claim Ishmael Miller’s header into the Town box ahead of Routledge as the Blues trotted off to applause from the visiting fans in the School End after a very strong first half display. Rangers had been poor by their own standards but Ipswich had looked more than a match for the table-toppers and might have counted themselves unlucky not to have taken the lead.
After their disappointing first half display, QPR came out much improved in the second half. Mark Kennedy had to clear Miller’s shot off the line before Heidar Helguson headed narrowly over the bar from a subsequent corner. Delaney then did well to clear another shot away as the hosts began to show some of their quality.
Kennedy was booked for bringing down Miller running down the right as the hosts again threatened, but Ipswich were by no means out of the game. On the hour mark, Lee Martin came in from the right with a low shot which Kenny pushed away, though the keeper had to be quick to prevent Jason Scotland reaching the rebound. On the whole though, the Blues were increasingly finding their chances limited as they struggled for the kind of possession they had enjoyed in the first half.
Kenny was involved in a moment of controversy 7 minutes later when the Rangers keeper came out to clear the ball away from Scotland and collided with the Town striker. Despite Scotland requiring treatment however, referee Kevin Wright elected to award the hosts a free kick instead, much to the disgruntlement of the travelling fans.
Just shy of the 70 minute mark, McAuley made an excellent saving challenge to prevent Miller scoring, but with Town having gotten away with a lot already in the second half, it was beginning to look like only a matter of time before the hosts found a breakthrough. One-time QPR loanee Tamas Priskin replaced Scotland for Ipswich before Fulop saved a low shot from the left by Taarabt. Neil Warnock then made his first change for the hosts, sending on Akos Buzsaky in place of Miller.
Town had put up a brave fight for 77 minutes but the hosts did eventually find a way through. Taarabt’s delivery from a corner seemed to bounce back and forth across the Blues box between Shittu and Clint Hill before the Hoops defender eventually nodded inside the left post to put the Championship leaders 1-0 up. Town had been unfortunate to concede the goal, but on the balance of play in the second half, it had been coming.
Kenny claimed ahead of Wickham and Priskin struck wide of the far post after skipping past Alejandro Faurlin on the edge of the box as Ipswich sought to put the score all-square, but the hosts were now looking most likely to add to their tally. Only a great save by Fulop prevented Routledge doing just that on 83 minutes.
Almost within the same passage of play however, Rangers did grab a second. Goalscorer Hill turned provider when his cross from the left found Heidar Helguson at the far post, the Icelandic striker powering a header down into the floor which bounced up past Fulop and into the roof of the net. 2-0 up and with less than 8 minutes left, the Londoners had finally wrapped up the points.
Jewell switched Martin for Argentinian Luciano Civelli with 6 minutes of normal time remaining as Town looked for a consolation. Wickham and Priskin were both caught narrowly offside when looking clean through before Shittu was given a rousing reception from the home fans as he made his way off to be replaced by Matthew Connolly. Civelli came close to snatching a late goal back for Ipswich in the first of three minutes of injury time, attempting to lob Kenny from 20 yards only to see his effort go not too far over the bar. Priskin had another low shot stopped at the near post by the QPR keeper a minute later before Wright blew for full time to hand Jewell only his second league defeat as Ipswich manager.
Ipswich will feel a little hard done by after looking much the better side in the first half and having had more possession over the 90 minutes, but QPR needed the points more and were a different team in the second period, eventually making their quality count against an increasingly tired-looking Blues side. The performance will have done Town’s confidence no harm however, having proven a much tougher contest for the league leaders at Loftus Road than they had done on their own turf back in September. Hopefully that will provide them with sufficient encouragement to continue their good form when Portsmouth visit Portman Road in Town’s next Championship outing on Saturday.
QPR: Kenny, Orr, Hill, Hall, Shittu (Connolly 90+1), Derry, Taarabt, Faurlin, Routledge, Helguson, Miller (Buzsaky 75) – Not used: Cerny, Gorkss, Chimbonda, Moen, Hulse
Ipswich: Fulop, McAuley, Delaney, Leadbitter, Edwards, Martin (Civelli 84), Bullard, Healy (Drury 40), Kennedy, Wickham, Scotland (Priskin 71) – Not used: Lee-Barrett, Peters, Smith, O’Dea
Did you make the trip to Loftus Road on Tuesday? What do you think Ipswich can take from this performance? Can Town really emulate a team like QPR in the near future? Have your say on this game as well as all things Town by joining Vital Ipswich:
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