Second half goals from Clint Hill and Heidar Helguson consigned Town to the second league defeat of Paul Jewell’s reign against league leaders QPR at Loftus Road. The Blues had been the better side in the first half but after the break Neil Warnock’s side upped a gear and struck twice in the last quarter of an hour.

Blues boss Paul Jewell surprised no one by making just the one change, Jimmy Bullard, unavailable against his parent club Hull at the weekend, returning to the side in place of Andy Drury. The former Luton man moved to the bench with Luke Hyam dropping out of the 18.

It was the league leaders who were to threaten first, in the fifth minute. Wayne Routledge chased a ball down the middle and, after a moment or two’s confusion with Márton Fülöp, Gareth McAuley put the ball behind.

Town’s first shot in anger came in the 11th minute but stand-in skipper Grant Leadbitter’s 25-yard effort screwed well wide.

The home side had had the better of the early moments but the Blues had started to impose themselves more and more on a game in which chances were rare. On 21 a Leadbitter shot hit Fitz Hall and almost fell for Connor Wickham in the area but the ball ran away from the 17-year-old.

Town were moving the ball around well with Bullard and Leadbitter hugely influential. On 31 the former Sunderland midfielder wasn’t far from putting the Blues in front with Town continuing to have the better of it. Bullard crossed from the corner of the box on the right, Scotland laid the ball back to Leadbitter, whose goalbound shot was deflected over by the desperately diving Hall.

On 35 Wickham sent in a low cross which Kenny could only push behind at his near post with the Blues looking much the more likely to score. After the resultant corner, the ball was played out to Delaney on the right and his central defensive partner McAuley headed his cross wide.

QPR were still having their moments and on 36, after Edwards had dispossessed the largely quiet Adel Taarabt in the area, Danny Shittu’s header from the corner struck Ishmael Miller before being cleared.

The home side started to regain the upper hand and in the 39th minute Delaney blocked from Hall after a corner, then, with the Blues still to clear their lines, Bullard similarly got in the way of a Routledge strike. Moments later, Andy Drury replaced an evidently injured Colin Healy in the Blues midfield.

Town again went looking for the opening goal as an entertaining half reached its close, Bullard having another shot from the edge of the box blocked.

As the game entered first half injury time, Helguson crossed from the right and Miller headed from deep towards Routledge but Fülöp claimed. The whistle went soon after.

Town had more than held their own against the division’s leaders and had played the better football for most of the half with Bullard and Leadbitter running things in midfield. A lead would in no way have flattered the Blues, but both sides had had opportunities in front of goal, although neither keeper had been particularly overworked.

The home side were the first to threaten after the break, Routledge cutting the ball across to Miller, whose shot was blocked by a combination of Fülöp and a defender . The ball was bundled behind and from the corner Helguson nodded Shittu’s header over.

After Scotland’s 25-yard shot had been blocked on the edge of the QPR box, Kennedy picked up the game’s first yellow card three minutes before the hour mark for a foul on Miller.

Martin struck a 60th minute low effort which Kenny couldn’t hold but the former Sheffield United keeper got to the loose ball ahead of Scotland.

The Blues had had less of the ball in the early stages of the half but were still a threat on the break, but as the match moved into its final third Town had another spell where they had the greater share of the ball with Bullard again the focal point, but again without creating anything clear-cut.

On 67 Scotland required treatment after a clash with Kenny on the edge of the area, referee Kevin Wright awarding a foul against the Town man, which seemed harsh on the Blues striker who appeared to have reached the ball first.

Two minutes later, McAuley made an important challenge on Miller with the on-loan West Brom man having been found in space inside the Town box.

Rangers were starting to put on a bit of pressure and had won a succession of corners. On 70 Priskin replaced Scotland, who appeared to be feeling the effects of his collision with Kenny.

Taarabt shot straight at Fülöp as the game moved towards its final 15 minutes. For QPR Akos Buzsaky replaced Miller.

On 77 the home side went in front. Taarabt sent in a corner from the left, Fülöp failed to deal with it under pressure from Hill, the ball rebounded off Shittu back to Hill, who headed over the line from a couple of yards out.

The goal was harsh on the Blues over the whole game, but Neil Warnock’s men had been the more dangerous side in the second half.

Former QPR loanee Priskin shot wide in the 81st minute with Town looking for an equaliser but Rangers almost made it two when a well-worked move down the left ended with a ball played across the box to Routledge, who forced an impressive save from Fülöp.

Two minutes later, the home side increased their lead. Hill twisted and turned to find some space to cross on the left, his ball into the area deflecting into the air off Edwards and reaching Helguson at the far post, the Icelander heading down and into the roof of the net.

Paul Jewell pushed Connor Wickham forward alongside Priskin and switched Luciano Civelli for Martin as the Blues chased an unlikely comeback in the closing minutes.

With the game in injury time, sub Civelli shot over but there was to be no way back for Town who fell to only their second league defeat since Paul Jewell took over six weeks ago.

The Blues were by no means outclassed by the promotion favourites, having had the better of it before the break but perhaps not creating enough clear-cut chances to make their superiority tell.

In the second half, with Town perhaps tiring, the home side got on top and when their chances came took them, although Márton Fülöp will feel he could have done better with the first.

No disgrace in losing to the league leaders, but Jewell will be looking for his side to get back to form when Portsmouth are at Portman Road on Saturday.

Town: Fülöp, Edwards, Kennedy, Delaney, McAuley, Leadbitter, Bullard, Healy (Drury 40), Martin (Civelli 84),Wickham, Scotland (Priskin 70). Unused: Lee-Barrett, Peters, Priskin, Smith, O’Dea.

QPR: Kenny, Orr, Hill, Shittu (Connolly 90), Hall, Derry, Faurlin, Taarabt, Routledge, Miller (Buzsaky 75), Helguson. Unused: Cerny, Gorkss, Hulse, Moen, Chimbonda. Referee: Kevin Wright (Cambridgeshire). Att: 16,587 (Town: 1,785).

Story syndicated from TWTD.co.uk

Photo: Action Images

Arsenal Polls