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QPR Official Site - TAVISTOCK AFC 0, QPR 13
QPR opened their tour of Devon and Cornwall with an emphatic 13-0 win over South West Peninsula League side Tavistock AFC.
On a rain-soaked evening in the West Country, Rangers didn't let the horrendous conditions faze them, easing to victory in front of a healthy following R's contingent.
Neil Warnock's side were four goals to the good by the break but showed their superior fitness levels in the second period, adding nine more to complete the rout.
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The victory sets Rangers up nicely for their trip to Plymouth Argyle on Wednesday (July 20th, kick-off 7.45pm).
Rangers lined-up in an accustomed 4-2-3-1 formation for the trip to Langsford Park.
A trialist was in goal, behind a back four of Bradley Orr, another trialist, Kaspars Gorkss and third trialist.
Shaun Derry and Alejandro Faurlin were in defensive midfield, behind the more attacking trio of Tommy Smith, Petter Vaagan Moen and Hogan Ephraim.
Patrick Agyemang led the R's line up front.
The match got underway in the midst of a dreadful downpour, but the harsh conditions didn't upset QPR, who were into their stride early on.
It took Rangers little less than five minutes to take the lead, in fact, courtesy of wing wizard Ephraim.
Smith played the provider from the right, crossing the ball for Ephraim to fire home a right-footed volley.
On 24 minutes, the two were to combine to good effect again, but this time it was Smith on the scoresheet, making no mistake when one-on-one following Ephraim's precise through ball.
Ephraim was firmly in the groove and that showed when he added his second - QPR's third - three minutes later.
Agyemang and Ephraim combined on the edge of the area, before the latter picked his spot from 18 yards.
And it was then time for Agyemang to turn from provider to scorer, latching on to Smith's through ball before lashing the ball home with the outside of his right foot.
Fortune certainly wasn't on the hosts' side, and that proved in the 62nd minute when goal number five of the evening arrived.
Ephraim found Peter Ramage on the right-hand flank, whose subsequent cross was turned into his own net John James - with the Tavistock man jokingly clenching his fist to salute the strike to the fans behind the goal.
Two minutes later, the R's netted number six. Agyemang found Ephraim and, despite the attentions of two Tavistock defenders, the former West Ham man smashed home low into the bottom corner to complete his hat-trick.
Rangers' outstanding fitness levels were beginning to show - not least when they added a seventh just a minute later - a third goal in as many minutes.
Danny Shittu went on a barnstorming run down the right hand-side, before a neat one-two with Agyemang.
The Nigerian international burst into the box, hitting the ball first time into the back of the net.
Agyemang was instrumental in the R's pattern of play throughout the evening, and he created space for himself before sliding the ball through for Helguson, who made no mistake to bury his effort when inside the box.
17 seconds after the re-start, the ninth strike of the night proved to be the goal of the game.
Agyemang and Ephraim again combined on the edge of the Tavistock area, resulting in the latter weaving his way through a series of challenges before expertly rounding the keeper to slot the ball home.
With 15 minutes left to play, Rangers hit 10!
Helguson netted from the spot in typically confident fashion, after he himself was felled by the Tavistock custodian.
Trialist Danny Webber netted his first goal in QPR colours 90 seconds later where, incredibly, Agyemang was again the architect.
Petter Vaagan Moen made it 12 with six minutes to go, after going close with several earlier opportunities, picking out the bottom corner from close range - and you can guess who set him up (Agyemang!).
And number 13 arrived two minutes from time via an unlikely source.
Having pushed forward earlier in the move, Matt Connolly played a one-two with Agyemang on the edge of the penalty area, before nonchalantly dinking the ball over the advancing Tavistock keeper.
QPR: Trialist, Orr, Trialist, Derry, Trialist, Gorkss, Ephraim, Vaagan Moen, Agyemang, Smith, Faurlin.
Subs (used unless stated): Cerny (unused), Hill (unused), Helguson, Webber, Connolly, Hall (unused), Ramage, Trialist, Shittu.
Goals: Ephraim (5, 27, 64, 73), Smith (24), Agyemang (37), James (OG, 62), Shittu (65), Helguson (72 & 75), Webber (77), Vaagan Moen (84), Connolly (88). QPR
St Albans & Harpenden Review » - Jupp stars but Rangers dominate at Clarence Park
David Tavener
-St Albans City manager Dave Howell used the Saints first friendly of the summer to cast his eye over 25 hopefuls on Monday night as a Queens Park Rangers side, including nine with Football League experience, chalked up a convincing 4-0 victory at Clarence Park.
Howell, taking charge of his first game since leaving Harrow Borough to join St Albans in May, fielded a different XI at the start of each half and, as he admitted after the game, has now made up his mind about a few decisions that needed to be made.
“I wanted to have a look at all the players who have been working hard pre-season. We had one team in the first half that I thought did quite well, they had never played together before, and some promising signs came out of that,” said the City boss.
“The second half was a bit difficult because there were some players not playing in their normal positions and I had to give players 45 minutes just to see,” he added.
The one player that really did stand out in the City ranks was goalkeeper Nick Jupp who was one of six former Harrow players on show for the home side.
Jupp may have been beaten four times but had it not been for an inspired performance by the former Watford youngster then the margin of defeat would have been uncomfortably large.
City’s first half XI featured three players who played in the First team fleetingly last season – Ross Dedman, Aidy Chaves and Sean Shields – alongside three former players now back at Clarence Park, Rob Haworth from Tooting, Ryan Moran from Boreham Wood and Tobi Jinadu from Harrow, plus four trialists.
All of the second half starting XI are new to the Park with just substitute Spyros Mentis having previously been at the club.
Rangers, bereft of the majority of their First team squad who are currently on tour in the south-west, started well and should have gained an early lead when Mo Shariff threaded the ball across the face of the goal to Angelo Balanta who stabbed his effort wide from close in.
City’s first genuine threat on goal saw Shields, picked out by Howell as one with potential, send as crisp effort through to keeper Elvijs Putnins who needed two attempts to secure possession.
On ten minutes Jupp pulled off a tremendous double save from Shariff and Leon Clarke.
Rangers opened the scoring on 13 minutes with a patient build up that concluded with Balanta, Martin Rowlands and Shariff combining to feed the ball through the middle of the home defence for Leon Clarke to beat Jupp with a fine left footed effort from 18 yards.
Jupp put that setback behind him to save well from a Shariff header while City’s best chance of the half went begging when Jerome Walker cut the ball towards the near post where Danny Hart scuffed his shot across the face of the goal.
Rangers continued to play a smooth passing game but either side of having a Clarke goal disallowed for offside they came close to being undone at the back.
Shields neatly controlled the ball on his chest and sent a dipping half volley just over the crossbar while a cross from Francis Attoh was met with a looping header by Haworth that Putnins – who played against City for Boreham Wood last season – stretched acrobatically high to his right to flick to safety.
Another chance went begging when a Haworth shot deflected to Hart whose shot on the turn was blocked by the legs of Putnins.
Five minutes from the interval Balanta exchanged passes with Cook only to see his low drive hacked away from close to the goalline by the towering Jinadu.
Howell’s experiment of looking at a new XI after the break was far from a great success as the visitors dominated from start to finish.
Clarke cleverly wormed his way through the City defence on 56 minutes only for Jupp to deflect the ball into the side netting with his left foot, but from Cook’s ensuing corner Clarke rose to cleverly glance home his second goal of the night.
Two minutes later City were undone for a third time when German, who also struck an upright, smartly side-stepped Jupp before slipping the ball into the Hatfield Road goal.
Rangers completed the scoring with their fourth goal on 75 minutes when Alesandro Pellicori headed home from 12 yards.
Although beaten three times after the interval Jupp can be satisfied with his contribution as he pulled off good saves from Bruno Andrade, Shariff, Clarke, Pellicori and two from German.
Speaking after the game Howell confirmed that popular left-back Peter Smith has probably played his last game for the club and is due to have trials with Staines Town.
The City manager also confirmed that Farnborough and Braintree Town are showing an interest in last season’s leading goalscorer Inih Effiong who has indicated he would like to leave the club. Howell confirmed that the striker would be allowed to leave if a satisfactory fee can be agreed.
St Albans City (First half): N.Jupp, R.Dedman, A.Chaves, D.Ijaha, R.Moran, T.Jinadu, D.Hart, D.McGonigle, R.Haworth, J.Walker, Se.Shields, subs; So Shields, F.Attoh, J.Holy.
St Albans City (Second half): N.Jupp, M.Farrelly, M.Terry, J.Mengeli, J.Gray, R.Yorke, J.Ehui, A.Fry, B.Haule, L.Hall, L.Walters, subs; S.Mentis, M.Alebiosu, M.Turner.
Queens Park Rangers: E.Putnins, M.Harriman, G.Borrowdale, M.Rowlands, T.Parmenter, M.Ehmer, L.Cook, L.Clarke, M.Shariff, M.Doughty, A.Balanta, subs; L.Olley, A.German, A.Pellicori, M.Henri-Francis, B.Andrade, J.Gibbons.
All listed substitutes played.
Referee: Dave Rock (Hatfield).
Att: 551. St Albans Review
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QPR Pre-Season Fixtures 2011/12
Wednesday 20th July - Plymouth Argyle (a) 7.45pm
Friday 22nd July - Bodmin Town (a) 7.15pm
Wednesday 27th July - Cesena (a) 8.30pm
Saturday 30th July - Trofeo Bortolotti Tournament (a) 8.00pm onwards
Tuesday 2nd August - Crawley Town (a) 7.45pm QPR
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