QPR's Win - Additional Reports Compilation

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The Times/Kaveh Solhekol -Dexter Blackstock at the double to make Paulo Sousa feel at home
-Dexter Blackstock made sure that Paulo Sousa’s first home game as the Queens Park Rangers first-team coach ended with a victory by scoring twice to keep Charlton Athletic in the relegation zone. Blackstock put QPR ahead in the first half and scored the winning goal ten minutes from time after Charlton had clawed their way back into the game in their first match since Alan Pardew left the club on Saturday.
- Sousa has only had a few days to work with his new players but the former Portugal assistant coach has already made an impact. Sousa was in the stands at Vicarage Road to watch his team’s 3-0 defeat by Watford at the weekend, but this was his first game in charge at Loftus Road.
Against a Charlton team who were smarting from their 5-2 home defeat by Sheffield United on Saturday and the departure “by mutual consent” of Pardew, QPR were bold and enterprising in the early stages and took the lead after 16 minutes thanks to Blackstock’s tap-in from a cross by Damiano Tommasi.
Blackstock’s eighth goal of the season owed as much to bad defending as continental flair — Mark Hudson and Linvoy Primus, the Charlton centre backs, barely moved a muscle as Blackstock raced into the penalty area — but QPR proved that they know a thing or two about atrocious defending 13 minutes later when Charlton equalised against the run of play.
Damion Stewart and Kaspars Gorkss, the QPR defenders, decided to stand back and watch a cross by Hameur Bouazza roll in front of them and were punished when Therry Racon scored his first goal in English football from close range.
Phil Parkinson, the Charlton caretaker manager, had admitted before kick-off that he did not have a clue who would be playing for QPR and it showed. Meanwhile Sousa, who is used to working with players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco, had never seen Charlton play.
QPR continued to struggle with Charlton’s wingers at the start of the second half. Bouazza and Keith Gillespie, on his debut for the South London club after a loan move from Sheffield United, stretched their opponents and Martyn Waghorn and Primus went close to giving Charlton the lead.
Patrick Agyemang helped provide the spark that the QPR attack had hitherto been missing and he went close to scoring three times soon after coming on, his most eye-catching effort a right-foot strike from the edge of the penalty area that just missed the target before Blackstock scored the winning goal. " The Times


The INDEPENDENT/Conrad Leach - Blackstock double lifts Sousa's spirits
- If Queen's Park Rangers's supporters were enthralled by the arrival of their new manager, one boasting two Champions League winners' medals, then they failed to show it. The 12,286 crowd for this derby, with Paulo Sousa meeting the locals for the first time proper, was the west London side's lowest league gate of the season.
- What Flavio Briatore, who helped hire Sousa, made of the lack of enthusiasm is anyone's guess. At the end, the Italian and Sousa had to be grateful for Luke Varney, a Charlton Athletic substitute, volleying over from six yards when unmarked and then Mark Hudson heading wide. They proved costly, as Dexter Blackstock met Hogan Ephraim's cross to head the winner from 12 yards with 10 minutes left.
It was the striker's second goal of the night and even if there were not the numbers to see it, the result made Sousa feel a little bit more at home after only five days in the capital.
Given that Charlton had lost 5-2 at home on Saturday, the result that ended Alan Pardew's tenure at The Valley, and that QPR had lost 3-0 away at Watford the same day, there was little clue as to which way this game would go except that goals would be assured. Only three was a poor return when there should have been more, especially for the visitors, but that is why Charlton are in the relegation zone.
The south London side have now taken three points out of a possible 27 from their past nine games. Their caretaker manager Phil Parkinson acknowledged that his chances of taking the job permanently did not improve with this defeat, although the feeling is that it is still his job to lose.
It is not as if QPR is a stable environment either, with Iain Dowie, who started the season in charge, sacked last month and caretaker Gareth Ainsworth replaced by Sousa last week. But the former Juventus midfielder said that he is determined to try to rebuild the club. The first goal of his reign arrived just after quarter of an hour and although Therry Racon equalised after half an hour, Blackstock's double showed how valuable a confident goalscorer is. He has nine for the campaign.
"I spoke with Dexter and watched his goals from this season with him," Sousa said. "I believe in him and the team can help him to score." After the debacle at Watford, Sousa had still spoken to the press afterwards. This was the chance for his side to show that they understood him and he felt that they responded. The manager's early worries evaporated when Damiano Tommasi crossed from the left after 17 minutes and found Blackstock, who slotted home from eight yards.
QPR's porous defence was exposed after half an hour, when Hameur Bouazza picked out Racon who sidefooted home from close range. The hosts then survived those later misses before Blackstock showed that watching television sometimes can be good for you.
Queen's Park Rangers (4-1-3-2): Cerny, Ramage, Stewart, Gorkss, Delaney, Ephraim, Tommasi (Mahon, 62), Leigertwood, Parejo (Ledesma, 74), Di Carmine (Agyemang, h-t), Blackstock. Substitutes not used: Cole (gk), Oastler.
Charlton (4-4-2): Weaver (gk), Cranie, Primus, Hudson, Youga, Gillespie, Racon, Semedo, Bouazza, Waghorn (Varney, 62), Gray. Substitutes not used: Elliot, Holland, Sam, Fortune. Referee: K Stroud (Hants). The Independent


TELEGRAPH/Sam Green - Dexter Blackstock double for QPR ruins Phil Parkinson's big night for Charlton
- Phil Parkinson's first full audition for the Charlton manager’s job was spoilt on Tuesday night by Paulo Sousa, who was taking charge of Queens Park Rangers for the first time. But there was no shame for Parkinson in defeat by a man who has a hotline to Jose Mourinho.
- Sousa, a former Portugal and Juventus midfielder who has won the Champions League twice, was appointed as Iain Dowie’s successor last week and watched Rangers go down 3-0 at Watford on Saturday.
- But on Tuesday evening his new charges - thanks to a double from Dexter Blackstock - earned a win that put them just one point outside the play-off zone.
- Afterwards Sousa, who was assistant to Luiz Felipe Scolari during the Chelsea manager’s time in charge of Portugal, revealed he has been in regular contact with Mourinho, Scolari’s predecessor at Chelsea.
- “I am proud of what Jose has achieved because he is Portuguese and a winner,” Sousa said. “I want to be a winner too and Jose helps me each day because I speak with him often, but I am going my own way and am confident in myself.”
- Sousa, who was too smart to be cajoled into talking about QPR’s promotion credentials, was full of praise for both his own players and Charlton’s.
- Indeed the south London side deserved more from their first game after Alan Pardew’s departure, some £1 million better off, from the Valley.
- Saturday’s shambolic 5-2 home defeat by Sheffield United, which left Charlton in the relegation places, was the death blow for Pardew.
- Alan Curbishley has been linked with a return, while Billy Davies, Lawrie Sanchez and Martin Allen are said to be interested. But the feeling is that Parkinson, Pardew’s assistant, will be given a chance.
- Parkinson had already expressed his desire to return to management, but he refused to be drawn again last night and said he had been given no indication of his chances by the board.
- “It’s been a traumatic week, and at the moment it’s my responsibility to put together some performances that the club will be proud of,” he said, before admitting that he would need points to land the job. “Results are everything in football and while everyone could see this was a good performance, we need some wins,” he said.
- It was QPR who drew first blood, Damiano Tommasi crossing from the left for the unmarked Blackstock to steer home.
- But Charlton levelled on the half-hour after a penetrating run by 33-year-old winger Keith Gillespie, making his debut after joining on loan from Sheffield United. Hameur Bouazza provided the final pass and Therry Racon drilled home his first goal for the club.
- Damien Delaney prevented a second Charlton goal just after the break, blocking Martin Waghorn’s close-range shot after more good work by Bouazza.
- Linvoy Primus then went close for the visitors with a half-volley and Charlton captain Mark Hudson’s header flashed wide with13 minutes left, but QPR scored the winner soon after
- From Hogan Ephraim’s cross Blackstock netted with an adroit looping header, his ninth goal of the season, and moments later he almost completed his hat-trick with diving header. Telegraph

The Mirror/Lee West - Special won for new boss
JOSE SHOWED THE WAY SAYS SOUSA
- New Qpr boss Paulo Sousa edged a lucky win in his first match in the dug-out - thanks to Dexter Blackstock and Jose Mourinho.
Two-goal striker Blackstock saved Rangers, smacking home the opener after 17 minutes and heading in the winner 10 minutes from time.
But the megabucks Hoops were otherwise outplayed by managerless Charlton, who only had Therry Racon's 30th-minute equaliser to show for their efforts.
Portuguese coach Sousa revealed afterwards that he had been taking coaching tips from his pal and former Chelsea boss Mourinho.
Sousa, who watched Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Watford from the stands, said: "I'm proud of Jose as he's a Portuguese coach and he's a winner. I want to be a winner too.
"He helped me and I speak with him often as he has more experience than me. But I'm going my way and I know and believe in what I can do.
"It's not easy when you lose 3-0 in the previous game. You need to be very strong to change after this."
But this was a sloppy performance by Rangers in front of the club's lowest league crowd of the season - just 12,286.
Charlton caretaker boss Phil Parkinson, in charge after Alan Pardew's sacking on Saturday, vowed to lead his club out of the relegation zone - if the Addicks board gives him the chance.
"If they keep playing the way they did tonight, results will come," he said. "Everybody can see we played well and I'm confident we will win games."
Awful marking allowed Blackstock to put Rangers ahead, side-footing home Damiano Tommasi's cross.
But Charlton bossed the rest of the first half with Martyn Waghorn shooting wide before Hameur Bouazza's pull-back was slotted in by Racon.
Charlton pressed after the break, with Hoops defender Damien Delaney making a goal-saving tackle on Waghorn and Linvoy Primus volleying just over.
But Blackstock popped up to put Rangers in front 10 minutes from time, leaping highest to meet Hogan Ephraim's cross and loop a header over Nicky Weaver into the net. The Mirror

See also: Earlier Reports and comments