Matthew Connolly says the back four are proud of the 13 match unbeaten run and spate of clean sheets but wants to see it continue when Burnley come to town on Saturday.
Connolly told the club’s official website: “We're really proud of the record. It's a really good achievement. We want to keep it going now and make sure it's something that remains in the club history books for a long, long time. I think we've been lucky to an extent - like the two recent penalties and the two late goals at Derby, but I tend to believe you make your own luck and the spirit we've got, combined with the balance of the squad, has played a huge part in our unbeaten run. It's the best I've known it in my time here and long may it continue."
Elsewhere an experienced QPR reserve side beat Wycombe 2-1 in a game at the Harlington training ground earlier today. Bradley Orr, Fitz Hall, Gary Borrowdale, Gavin Mahon, Mikele Leigertwood, Patrick Agyemang, Antonio German and Leon Clarke all started while Josh Parker made the bench after his earlier than scheduled return from his loan at Northampton but it needed Under 18 starlet Bruno Andrande to come off the bench and score the winning goal after Wycombe levelled the scores just after half time. Patrick Agyemang followed up his crucial equaliser at Ashton Gate on Friday with the first goal here.
There was no place in the team for Rob Hulse who made his long awaited QPR debut at Bristol City. Hulse replaced Heidar Helguson in the second half at Ashton gate when the Icelandic striker suffered a worrying looking shoulder injury. Scans have today revealed no lasting damage to Helguson who will return to training on Thursday and be available for the weekend visit of Burnley but Hulse’s absence from the second string hints at further involvement for him against the Clarets as well.
Physio Nigel Cox told the club’s official website: “We took him off as a precaution. He landed heavily on his right shoulder on Tuesday night at Swansea, and then did the same thing on Friday. We sent him for a scan yesterday, which merely confirmed what we suspected - there's inflammation around the area, but nothing more. I would expect him to resume full training with the rest of the first team towards the end of this week."
QPR: Trialist, Orr, Ehmer, Hall, Borrowdale, Mahon, Leigertwood, Doughty, Agyemang, German, Clarke
Subs: Parker, Hibbert, Andrade, Cox, Harriman, Sharif, Trialist
Tamas Priskin and Damien Delaney were on the scoresheet for Ipswich tonight as they moved into the quarter finals of the League Cup with a 3-1 home victory against Northampton Town. The Cobblers reached this stage of the competition with a famous win at Liverpool on penalties but Town proved too strong with Delaney scoring just before half time and Priskin nodding in a third in injury time at the end of the game. The goals was Delaney’s first for Ipswich in 43 appearances after forging quite a reputation as an attacking, goal scoring left back during his time at Loftus Road.
- While Ipswich moved into the League Cup quarter finals, Swansea and Leicester crashed out. Backed by 4,500 fans Swansea must have fancied their chances against a much changed Wigan side at the JJB Stadium but they were beaten 2-0. Leicester meanwhile were hammered 4-1 at home by West Brom. The only other remaining Championship side is Burnley who will play against Aston Villa on Wednesday night.
- Tony Mowbray has been confirmed as the new manager of Middlesbrough and insists that there is no animosity between him and the former Celtic players that he offloaded to Boro after succeeding Gordon Strachan at Parkhead. Mowbray finds Boro third bottom after taking over Strachan for the second time in 18 months. Mowbray said: “I've got an opportunity to steer us back to where we want to go and that is towards the Premier League. Our ambition is to get the club moving back in the right direction."
- Cardiff manager Dave Jones insists his team will not get carried away with their recent form having drawn level on points with QPR at the top of the Championship with a 4-0 win at Leeds on Monday night. Jones said: “It's early days, we're 13 games in and we've a long, long way to go. We need to keep everybody fit, we've got Danny Drinkwater back this week and we've got to get Quinny back in, we took one or two knocks tonight and are still running with a small squad. Everybody within the camp is doing their best. It's nice to come to a place like this and put on a performance on TV. They just need to keep their feet on the ground."
- Hull are confident that midfielder Jimmy Bullard will not require surgery on his latest knee injury. Bullard has been dogged with knee problems in recent years, preventing Hull from finding a buyer for him in the summer when they looked to reduce their wage bill following relegation. Manager Nigel Pearson said: “Jimmy has suffered a meniscal injury which will keep him out for an estimated three weeks. It is important to stress that this is not the knee that he has had surgery on previously.”
- Frank Nouble has been recalled early from his loan spell with Swansea. Nouble, an England Under 19 international, barely looked like a footballer when he came on against QPR last Tuesday but has been brought back to Upton Park after six starts, two sub appearances and one goal to cover for an injury crisis in East London.