Reserves: QPR Get Smashed by Brighton

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QPR Official Site - DOUBLE TROUBLE
Brighton Reserves 8 QPR 2

Nine man Rangers Reserves succumbed to a heavy 8-2 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday evening.

On a night to forget for the R's second string, Romone Rose and Jake Cole both saw red, while Seagulls striker Joe Gatting bagged five goals.

Rose was sent off midway through the second half for two bookable offences, before Cole received his marching orders when he was harshly adjudged to have handled the ball outside his penalty area, despite his protestations that it hit him in the face.

Rangers trailed 3-0 at half-time, despite the best efforts of Rohan Ricketts, who enjoyed a productive 45 minutes in his first outing in the famous Blue and White Hoops.

The deadlock was broken on 15 minutes, courtesy of Gatting's first of the evening. Gary Hart's far post cross was met expertly by the Seagulls attacker, whose flying header gave Cole absolutely no chance.

Buoyed by their goal, the Seagulls doubled their advantage midway through the half, when Nathan Elder's deft chip from eight yards beat the advancing Cole.

The R's fell 3-0 on the stroke of half-time, when Aaron Goode conceded a penalty and Alex Frutos finished with aplomb, smashing the ball into the top right hand corner of the net.

R's youngster Rose tested Michel Kuipers in stoppage time, but it was Brighton who headed into the break in the ascendancy.

Hart made it four early in the second half, before Gatting cashed in on some indifferent defending from the R's with four further strikes, to take his tally for the evening to five.

Rangers' goals arrived courtesy of sub Kieron St Aimie, who scrambled the ball home from close range and Ricketts, who capped a fine individual display with a free-kick from the left flank, which Kuipers failed to deal with.

Brighton Res: Kuipers, Hinshelwood, Elphick, Breach, Rents, Mayo, Frutos, Loft, Hart, Elder, Gatting.
Subs: Cobbs, Martin, Skinner, Sullivan, Gargan.

QPR Res: Cole, Goode, Milanese, Timoska, Brown, Baidoo, Ricketts, Smith, Arthur, Rose, Moore.
Subs used: Goodchild, St Aimie, O'Brien.
QPR

BRIGHTON OFFICIAL SITE - Brighton 8 QPR 2
Reserves Run Riot By Tim Dudding, at Woodside Road

Albion's reserves romped to an emphatic 8-2 win over shell-shocked QPR tonight in the Pontins Holiday Combination.

Joe Gatting hit the target five times on an action packed evening at Woodside Road, with Nathan Elder, Alex Frutos and Gary Hart also on the scoresheet.

The Seagulls were already 6-1 up before the visitors had Romone Rose and goalkeeper Jake Cole sent off within a matter of minutes in the second half.

Boss for the night Martin Hinshelwood told seagulls.co.uk, "Our attitude, commitment and work-rate was first class throughout the night.

"We looked fit and sharp all over the pitch. We're disappointed with the two goals we conceded, but as a side we looked solid and there are a lot of plusses tonight."

Gatting opened the scoring after quarter-of-an-hour with a stooping header from a Hart cross. Elder then doubled Albion's lead with a deft lob over Cole, before Frutos converted from the spot to send Albion into the break 3-0 up.

Hart made it 4-0 shortly after the restart, applying the final touch to an Elder header, and then Gatting charged through the left channel to slot his second of the night under Cole.

Stefan Moore pulled one back for the visitors despite the desperate attempts of Michel Kuipers on the line, before Gatting followed up a rebound to complete his hat-trick and make it 6-1.

Referee Steve Tomlinson then gave Rose his marching orders for a second bookable offence, and moments later the red card was out again - this time a straight sending off for Cole, who handled outside the area as Elder went for goal.

Replacement keeper Chris Goodchild's first contribution was to pick out Gatting's ensuing free-kick from the back of the net.

Gatting completed his five star performance by lofting the ball over the stranded Goodchild.

Kuipers couldn't hold former Spurs midfielder Rohan Ricketts's late free-kick as QPR grabbed a second consolation, but it didn't take the shine off an outstanding display from the Seagulls.

Loft was withdrawn after an hour after complaining of soreness in his knees.

Albion: (4-4-2) Kuipers; P Hinshelwood, Breach, Elphick, Mayo; Loft (Skinner 60), Rents, Hart (Martin 90), Frutos; Elder (Gargan 82), Gatting. Subs not used: Sullivan (GK), Cobbs. Brighton


The Argus - Gatting smashes five as reserves romp it
By Andy Naylor

The first team might be struggling for goals but Albion's Reserves are having no difficulty finding the net.

Joe Gatting helped himself to five as they continued their prolific run in the Pontin's Holiday Combination League with a remarkable 8-2 romp against Queens Park Rangers at Woodside Road last night.

As if the result was not embarrassing enough for Rangers they also finished the match with only nine men, goalkeeper Jake Cole and striker Romone Rose seeing red in the second half.
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It was Albion's third convincing victory in succession after despatching leaders Southampton 3-0 at home earlier this month and last week's 4-1 triumph away to Crystal Palace.

Gatting and fellow forward Nathan Elder bagged two apiece in that match and they caused havoc again as Albion wrapped the game up with three goals by half-time.

They went ahead in the 15th minute with a slick move. Elder released Gary Hart down the right and his cross was headed in by the unmarked Gatting, his eighth goal of the campaign for the Reserves.

Elder, not to be outdone, joined his partner on the eight goal mark in the 28th minute.

Sam Rents, playing the holding role in the midfield diamond, put Elder away with a defence-splitting pass and the former Billericay marksman's neat angled lob from close range left Cole rooted to the spot.

Alex Frutos got in on the act a minute from the break. The Frenchman, brought down inside the box by Aaron Goode, picked himself up to convert the penalty into the roof of the net.

There was no let-up from Albion in the second half, Hart increasing the lead eight minutes into the restart with a volley from point blank range when Elder headed a Kerry Mayo free-kick across the face of goal.

Gatting held off his marker to slot No. 5 past Cole in the 61st minute. Stefan Moore scrambled a goal back for the visitors three minutes later but that was merely the prelude to more humiliation.

Gatting completed his hat-trick on 71 minutes, heading into the empty net after Cole could only parry Hart's shot.

Rangers were reduced to ten men a couple of minutes later. Rose, already booked, received a second yellow card for a foul on Hart. Ten men became nine within two more minutes whenthe unfortunate Cole was sent off for deliberate handball outside his area.

The first task for replacement keeper Chris Goodchild was picking the ball out of his net as Gatting drilled in the resulting free-kick.

Gatting lobbed home his fifth, and Albion's eighth, with eight minutes remaining before Rohan Ricketts hit a late second for Rangers.

The unassuming Gatting, on target five times in 29 first team appearances this season, said: "I have scored a couple of fours for the youth team and I've scored seven before for my Sunday team Hove Rivervale when I was younger.

"I was lucky to be in the right positions when the ball came to me. It would be nice to one day hopefully transfer the goals to the first team."

Albion Reserves (4-1-2-1-2): Kuipers; P. Hinshelwood, Breach, Elphick, Mayo; Rents; Loft, Frutos; Hart; Elder, Gatting. Subs: Skinner for Loft (injured, 60), Gargan for Elder (withdrawn, 82), J. Martin for Hart (withdrawn, 90), Cobbs, Sullivan. The Argus

ALSO: TONY GIBSON - QPR RIVALS
Rivals Match Report


BRIGHTON OFFICIAL SITE - PRE GAME
Reserves Host QPR By Tim Dudding

Kerry Mayo is set to return from a back problem tonight when the reserve team entertain QPR at Woodside Road (kick-off 7.00pm).

The experienced full-back has been ruled out of the last two first team games after straining his back in training.

Tommy Fraser is still recovering from the foot injury sustained in last week's reserve game at Crystal Palace.

Kerry Mayo
Mayo has recovered from a back problem

Meanwhile on-loan trio Nick Ward, Zoumana Bakayogo and Joe O'Cearuill are all away on international duty.

Ward will be trying to help the Australian under-23 side secure a crucial victory against Saudi Arabia in their 2008 Olympic qualifier on Wednesday.

Bakayogo and the Ivory Coast took another step towards the Olympic finals in Beijing with a 3-1 win over Egypt on Saturday night.

O'Cearuill, who missed Albion's 0-0 draw with Huddersfield with a tight groin, has joined up with the Republic of Ireland under-21s for a friendly in Holland.

Albion reserves: Kuipers, P Hinshelwood, Elphick, Breach, Rents, Mayo, Frutos, Loft, Hart, Elder, Gatting. Subs: Cobbs, J Martin, Skinner, Sullivan (GK), Gargan.
Brighton Official