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LUTON BEAT QPR
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- Photos from Luton
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QPR Official Site - LUTON 3, QPR 1
Posted on: Fri 05 Aug 2011
New R's signing DJ Campbell was on target with a 29th-second strike, but his early goal couldn't help QPR from going down to a 3-1 defeat to Luton Town at Kenilworth Road.
Rangers were ahead when Adel Taarabt's telling centre found the former Blackpool striker in space inside the Hatters box, before Campbell made no mistake to put Rangers in front.
Neil Warnock made a host of changes at the break - nine, in fact - and that ultimately had an impact on the pattern of play, as Luton bagged three second half goals through Matthew Barnes-Homer, Amari Morgan-Smith and Adam Watkins to run out eventual winners.
Campbell was named in QPR's starting XI for the trip to Luton.
Paddy Kenny was in goal for Rangers, behind a back four of Kieron Dyer, Fitz Hall, Danny Gabbidon and Clint Hill.
Shaun Derry and Alejandro Faurlin were in defensive midfield, behind attacking trio Tommy Smith, Taarabt and Campbell.
Jay Bothroyd led the R's line up front.
All eyes were firmly on new signing Campbell following his move from Blackpool yesterday afternoon (Thursday).
Remarkably, it took the diminutive front-man just 29 seconds to open his R's account.
Smith picked out Taarabt down the left and, in typical fashion from the Moroccan matador, he picked out an unmarked Campbell with the outside of his right foot from 10-yards out.
And the former Birmingham striker made no mistake thereafter, tucking the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
Soon after, Luton - who, to their credit, had started brightly - went close.
Alex Lawless picked out Dan Gleeson down the right, before the right-back's cross-come-shot was expertly tipped away for a corner by Kenny at his near post.
On four minutes, Campbell received possession on the edge of the Hatters' box and, when he touched the ball back to Bothroyd, his left-footed drive whistled just inches over the bar.
Play soon switched to the other end, where Aaron O'Connor drove at the Rangers defence before drilling a low effort just wide of the right-hand post.
The hosts were soon on the attack again.
A cross from the right found Dean Beckwith unmarked in acres of space at the back post, but Kenny pulled off a stunning point-blank save from the defender's subsequent effort from just six-yards out, before Will Antwi's follow-up from the loose ball was deflected wide.
Kenny was far from a spectator in this already lively affair.
The R's keeper would have breathed a sigh of relief on 25 minutes. Kenny spilled Danny Crow's long-range effort on 25 yards, as the ball slipped out of his grasp and trickled towards the net.
Thankfully, the QPR shot-stopper reacted in speedy fashion, as he turned on to his back to grasp the ball with both hands.
On 30 minutes, clever footwork from Faurlin down the left-hand channel enabled the Argentine midfield man to find space before picking out the onrushing Smith from 12 yards, whose deft header went just wide of the right-hand post.
Curtis Osano's effort from range went just wide on 37 minutes, before the R's went close to doubling their advantage five minutes later.
Campbell was pulled back by his marker on 35 yards and, when Taarabt stepped up to take the resultant set-piece, his beautifully struck effort was superbly pushed around his post by Hatters keeper Mark Tyler.
R's gaffer Warnock made some nine changes at the half-time interval - and it was one of the his substitutes who almost added a second on 50 minutes.
Buzsaky picked up possession on 25 yards after the home side failed to clear their lines, before firing a low effort just wide of the left-hand post.
There was little to choose between the two sides in the opening 15 minutes or so of the second half, with Rangers in particular trying to find their feet after a whole host of changes at the break.
Hill and Dyer were the only two players that survived the half-time cull, with the latter particularly impressing at right-back before making the switch to centre midfield in the second period.
Dyer made way for Michael Doughty on 72 minutes.
Warnock will no doubt be pleased with his summer signing's contribution on the night, with Dyer giving himself a fighting chance of making Rangers' starting line-up on the opening day of the Premier League campaign next weekend.
Just two minutes after Dyer was taken off, Luton levelled thanks to the work of two second-half substitutes.
Morgan-Smith found space down the left and, when his cross found Barnes-Homer from six-yards, his header sailed past Cerny and into the net.
Moments later, James Dance saw his effort from the edge of the box bounce back off the bar, before Luton grabbed a second on 83 minutes.
Morgan-Smith chased down Orr's weak back pass and his persistence paid dividends, as Cerny's clearance smashed off the substitute and ricocheted into an empty goal.
The Hatters confirmed victory on 88 minutes, when Watkins' deflected strike totally deceived Cerny and the ball found the bottom right-hand corner.
Luton Town: Tyler, Gleeson (Watkins 64), Osano, Keane, Beckwith, Antwi (Asafu-Adjaye 64), Lawless (Lacey 90), Dance, O'Connor (Morgan-Smith 72), Crow (Barnes-Homer 64), Howells (Poku 90).
Subs: Elder, Pilkington.
Goals: Barnes-Holmer (74), Morgan-Smith (83), Watkins (88)
QPR: Kenny (Cerny 46), Dyer (Doughty 72), Hill (Andrade 82), Derry (Ephraim 46), Hall (Orr 46), Gabbidon (Trialist), Taarabt (Vaagan-Moen 46), Smith (Connolly 46), Campbell (Helguson 46) (Hewitt 82), Bothroyd (Agyemang 46), Faurlin (Buzsaky 46).
Goals: Campbell (1)
Attendance: 3,170 (621 away)
http://www.qpr.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10373~2411614,00.html
QPR Official Site GAFFER: 'CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH'
Neil Warnock was pleased to report a clean bill of health, as QPR's pre-season campaign concluded at Kenilworth Road tonight (Friday).
DJ Campbell scored on his Rangers debut after just 29 seconds but, more importantly, the R's squad to a man came through the 90 minutes unscathed.
Speaking moments after the final whistle, Warnock told www.qpr.co.uk: "We've had a great pre-season and I'm so delighted that we didn't get an injury.
"We've had a hectic five weeks and some strenuous training sessions over the past couple of days, but I thought we did okay.
"I was quite pleased with a lot of things in the first half, and there were one or two areas that you could see that we need to brush up on.
"It would have been easier to go and get a nice tippy-tappy fixture to finish off, but I knew it would be tough at Luton, like it was at Crawley on Tuesday night. It was just what we needed."
Warnock added: "We've got a good bunch of players here, with a great team spirit. We're all really looking forward to what should be a cracking atmosphere against Bolton next Saturday.
Warnock added: "I think at this stage fitness is more important, make no mistake about that. People are writing us off, but I'd say do that at your peril.
"Ali Faurlin and DJ have been down with illness this week, but they both wanted to play. That says all you need to know about the attitude and desire of this squad.
"I'm so excited now, it's really beginning to sink in that we're just a week away from the start of the season." QPR
Luton Official Site TOWN 3-1 QPR - REPORT & ANALYSIS
A marvellous performance saw Gary Brabin's men sweep aside their Premier League opponents with a display of attacking flair and energy, recovering from a goal down inside the first minute to beat Queens Park Rangers.
In a showing that will have Hatters fans dreaming of how much this team can achieve when the Blue Square Bet Premier campaign gets underway in just over a week's time, three second-half goals from substitutes Matthew Barnes-Homer, Amari Morgan-Smith and Adam Watkins saw the Town batter their top flight opposition after going behind inside the first minute.
Neil Warnock named a first-choice QPR side packed with internationals of the calibre of Adel Taarabt, Keiron Dyer and Jay Bothroyd, and the early signs were that the gulf in class would be too great for the Hatters to overcome when the hosts got off to a nightmare start. Town went a goal down inside half a minute when DJ Campbell calmly finished from a Taarabt cross to score with his first touch in a QPR shirt.
That goal aside, the Hatters actually started the better team, with Alex Lawless, Dan Gleeson, Aaron O'Connor and Keith Keane all going close as the hosts carved open their Premiership opponents with a number of chances inside the first five minutes.
And the two closest chances of all fell to unlikely sources, with centre backs Dean Beckwith and Will Antwi coming agonisingly close to scoring from close-range as the Town caused panic in the Ragers' box with a couple of corners in the seventh and eighth minutes.
An unfamiliar visitor to Kenilworth Road would have been hard-pressed to work out which was the Premier League team as the Hatters continued to dominate early on. But England international Jay Bothroyd came close to reasserting the West Londoners' higher status when he shot just wide after being put through by Tommy Smith on the counter-attack after quarter of an hour.
Some spectators in the Kenilworth Road stand thought that Danny Crow had equalised at the far end on 25 minutes, as Rangers' goalkeeper Paddy Kenny momentarily seemed to have let the Town striker's long range squirm in. The Irish international successfully gathered the ball at the second attempt though, to deny Crow who had been superbly teed-up by Jake Howells.
Hatters new-boy Curtis Osano almost replicated his wondergoalfrom Cambridge City last week, as he ran from the back, leaving international players trailing in his wake en-route to sending a fierce strike fizzing just outside the post.
Moroccan forward Taarabt has been earning rave-reviews since joining Worthington's team from Spurs a year ago, and he demonstrated just why his reputation has been growing so rapidly when he forced Mark Tyler into an acrobatic save with a 30-yard free kick that was heading for the top corner just before half-time, but the Town went in trailing by just that solitary early goal.
An hour after going behind, the Hatters almost equalised when Alex Lawless jolted the second half into life. With QPR substituting almost their entire team at the break, some of the rhythm sapped out of the game early in the second period. But Town's Welsh midfield general was growing in influence, and stung the hands of substitute goalkeeper Radek Cerny when he raced onto an O'Connor cut-back and hit a left-foot piledriver that the Hungarian 'keeper did well to beat away.
A triple substitution from Gary Brabin saw Watkins, Asafu-Adjaye and Barnes-Homer get 25-minute run-outs, and Barnes-Homer almost had an immediate impact when his dangerous low cross came close to finding O'Connor in the box.
And he went one better on 74 minutes when he headed in Osano's cross to finish a superb team move and grab the equaliser that the Town had been threatening all game. Howells, Watkins, Lawless, Dance and Barnes-Homer passed the ball around QPR's hapless defence as they probed with some top-class approach play. Unable to quite open up the Rangers back line, the Hatters showed great patience to work the ball back out to Osano on the left, and when he curled in a deep cross Barnes-Homer was there to nod in past the floundering Cerny.
The Town grew in stature after the equaliser and began an all-out assault on the QPR goal. Howells showed great skill to get into the box with a solo-run but was thwarted by a fine last-ditch tackle from Rangers left-back Clint Hill.
Dance was then put through by substitute Amari Morgan-Smith and crashed a shot against the underside of the crossbar, before Barnes-Homer sent a vicious drive fizzing just wide on 78 minutes.
And the Hatters finally went in front with seven minutes remaining when Morgan-Smith charged down a back-pass to the 'keeper and managed to force the ball in.
The Town were fully deserving of their lead, having played some fantastic stuff all night with man-of-the-match Howells completely dominating the midfield.
And Howells's successor off the Hatters' stellar youth production-line, Watkins, furthered the Town's lead as he swept home Dance's cut-back via a deflection off an R's defender.
The two-goal cushion did not flatter Brabin's team, who had been quite superb ever since that Campbell goal in the first minute.
It was a fine way to sign off the home pre-season campaign, and if the Hatters can play anywhere near this standard when it matters then there won't be many Conference teams who can live with them. Result from Kenilworth Road
Luton Town 3 (Barnes-Homer 74, Morgan-Smith 83, Watkins 88)
Queens Park Rangers 1 (Campbell 1)
http://www.lutontown.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10372~2411506,00.html
Dave McIntyre/West London Sport -
QPR fold after Campbell’s perfect start
Having waited until he was 29 to play for QPR, DJ Campbell waited only 29 seconds for a goal on his debut.
But that was as good as it got for Rangers, whose second-half substitutes were humbled by Conference side Luton at Kenilworth Road.
Campbell, who grew up a stone’s throw from Loftus Road, is determined to make the most of his second chance at the club that rejected him as a youngster.
He certainly made the most of the mix-up in the Luton defence that allowed him to fire home with the outside of his right foot.
Rangers might have won their final pre-season friendly comfortably had Tommy Smith not wasted an opportunity to put them further ahead when he headed Alejandro Faurlin’s left-wing cross wide of the target.
That miss proved to be a turning point, although few could have predicted that Luton would stage such an emphatic fightback.
Campbell was replaced at half-time – one of nine QPR changes at the break – and Rangers’ fringe players did their first-team prospects no good whatsoever by allowing their non-League opponents back into the game.
Luton were on top for much of the second period and were rewarded when Matthew Barnes-Homer headed the equaliser past Radek Cerny.
The Hatters then went close when Akos Buzsaky was dispossessed in midfield and the ball ran to James Dance, whose shot smashed against the bar.
But the next Rangers howler did not go unpunished. Striker Amari Morgan-Smith chased Bradley Orr’s backpass and embarrassed Cerny by blocking the Czech’s clearance, with the ball ricocheting into the net.
Worse followed for Rangers in the dying minutes. Dance found space on the right and pulled the ball back for Adam Watkins to net Luton’s third
http://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/qpr-fold-after-campbells-perfect-start/
Dunstable Today - Rangers routed by stellar Hatters
Luton Town 3 (0) Queens Park Rangers 1 (1)
SUBSTITUTES Matthew Barnes-Homer, Amari Morgan-Smith and Adam Watkins all struck in the second half as Luton overturned a 1-0 half-time deficit to topple Premier League new boys Queens Park 3-1 at Kenilworth Road tonight, writes Mark Wood.
Riproaring Luton mixed great energy with more than a dash of panache as DJ Campbell’s strike in the opening seconds was made a distant memory by a terrific Town display.
Town boss Gary Brabin named what looked like the team he could be tempted to field for next weekend’s opener at AFC Telford, while QPR also named a massively strong side, including Championship Player Of The Year and captain Adel Taarabt.
And it took Rangers just 30 seconds to take the lead, netting before Luton had even had a touch. Taarabt found space on the left and his low cross was fluffed by Dean Beckwith and Campbell was allowed to take a touch before slotting home.
Rangers keeper Paddy Kenny had to be aware to deal with dangerous crosses from Jake Howells and Dan Gleeson, while Jay Bothroyd lashed over at the other end.
Undaunted Town continued to press, Aaron O’Connor firing straight at Kenny, and Alex Lawless sending an opportunistic straight at the Irish stopper.
Keith Keane had a couple of speculative efforts deflected behind as Luton continued to turn the screw.
Danny Crow’s swerving cross picked out the unmarked Beckwith at the far post but his effort was straight into Kenny’s midriff and, as the centre-half battled for the ball, it fell to Will Antwi whose effort was deflected up and over for a corner.
From that Town should have scored again when the ball broke to O’Connor at the far post but he could only blaze wide.
Rangers though were dangerous going forward and wasted a gilt-edged chance to double their lead after a quarter-of-an-hour.
Former Watford man Tommy Smith drew the defence, before slipping through Bothroyd, but he could only drag his effort wide with only Mark Tyler to beat.
Howells was proving proving a class act on the left, showcasing a wide range of passing, while new QPR signing Campbell took a tumble under a challenge from Tyler in the box but nothing was doing.
Another slick pass by Howells put Crow into space and his long ranger blast was parried by Kenny, who just recovered in time to snaffle the ball from under the nose of the onrushing O’Connor, while the Hatters fans in the Kenilworth Road end mistakenly cheered what they thought was a goal.
Rangers went close again after half and hour when Alejando Faurlin’s cross picked out Smith in the box, but the ex-Hornet man’s flick ran just wide.
A marauding run from Kenyan full-back Curtis Osano saw him eat up 40 yards before flashing an effort wide as he looked for a repeat of his wonder goal at Cambridge City.
A fabulous 30-yard free-kick from Taarabt forced Tyler to turn the ball aside from the top left-hand corner with three minutes of the half left, while another Beckwith error almost cost Luton dear, but Taarabt’s cross ran wide.
Rangers rolled the changes at the break, making eight substitutions, with replacement Akos Buzsaky smashing wide five minutes in.
Another former Watford man, Heider Helguson, then saw a long range strike ruled out by the linesman’s flag.
Town alternated from a 4-4-2 formation to 4-3-3 in the second and this seemed to at least initially stifle their creativity, although Dan Gleeson had two efforts blocked and Lawless sent a good effort straight at substitute stopper Radek Cerny.
The second half was quiet in comparison to the first until Luton levelled on 74 minutes when Osano’s searching cross found Barnes-Homer lurking at the far post and he made not mistake with his header past the static Cerny.
And Luton were almost ahead seconds late when substitute Morgan-Smith broke on the left but Watkins’ header flashed wide.
Some thrilling interplay between Barnes-Homer and Howells ended in the Welsh U21 international’s shot being blocked as Town started to hammer on Rangers’ door.
Morgan-Smith slid through Dance with 12 minutes to go, but the summer signing’s shot smashed down off the bar and out, while Watkins dragged his follow-up just wide.
Barnes-Homer scorched an effort just past the mark before Town justifiably snatched the lead when Morgan-Smith charged down a Cerny clearance and the ball rebounded into the unguarded net.
And Luton added a third two minutes from time when Dance pulled the ball back from the byline to the onrushing Watkins who buried his shot past the unmoving Cerny, via a slight deflection, to round off a great evening at rocking and vociferous Kenilworth Road.
Hatters (4-4-2): Mark Tyler, Dan Gleeson (Ed Asafu-Adjaye 64), Curtis Osano, Keith Keane, Dean Beckwith (C), Will Antwi (Matthew Barnes-Homer 64), Alex Lawless (Alex Lacey 90+4), James Dance, Aaron O’Connor (Amari Morgan-Smith 72), Danny Crow (Adam Watkins 64), Jake Howells (Godfrey Poku 90+2). Substitutes not used: Nathan Elder, Kevin Pilkington.
Rangers (4-4-2): Paddy Kenny (Radek Cerny 46), Kieron Dyer (Michael Doughty 72), Clint Hill (Bruno Andrado 81), Shaun Derry (Akos Buzsaky 46), Fitz Hall (B Peroni 46), Danny Gabbidon (Matt Connolly 46), Adel Taarabt (C, Petter Vaagen Moen 46), Tommy Smith (Hogan Ephraim 46), DJ Campbell (Heider Helguson 46, Troy Hewitt 82), Jay Bothroyd (Patrick Agyemang 46), Alejando Faurlin. Substitutes not used: Bradley Orr.
Referee: R Mackay.
Assistant Referees: A Aylott and J Panconi.
Fourth Official: R Endacott.
Attendance: 3,170 (QPR 621).
Star Hatter: Jake Howells. Industrious midfielder barely put a foot wrong all night. Dunstable Today
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