Two goals from Jon Stead and one from Jon Walters gave the Blues a comfortable 3-0 home victory over QPR. Walters opened the scoring in the third minute with Stead, who also netted twice in the corresponding fixture last season, adding to the lead in the second half before missing two late chances to complete his first Town hat-trick.

Roy Keane made four changes of personnel from the side which lost 3-1 at Crystal Palace on Saturday. Skipper Jon Walters and Grant Leadbitter returned from their suspensions, while David Norris came into the team for his first appearance since injuring his knee ligaments on the opening day of the season.

Stern John came in for the final game of his loan spell up front, while Jaime Peters moved to left-back in place of David Wright, who had five stitches to a cut to his foot after the Crystal Palace game.

Jack Colback and Owen Garvan dropped to the bench with Wright and Colin Healy left out of the squad. Carlos Edwards started on the right and Jon Walters on the left but quickly switched flanks, something they did on a number of occasions during the first half.

Edwards caused some early danger with a long throw which avoided everyone in the box.

The Blues went in front in only the third minute. Stern John sent Jon Walters away in space on the left. The captain took the ball on if a little wide and hit a left-foot shot which deflected off a defender and into the net for his sixth goal of the season.

QPR went looking for a quick equaliser with Adel Taarabt’s shot deflecting wide off one of his own players a minute afterwards.

Town should have increased their lead in the 12th minute when Gareth McAuley was left unmarked at a Grant Leadbitter corner but the central defender headed wide when he ought to have hit the target.

The Blues had another opportunity to add a second four minutes later when an Edwards cross from the left found Waters at the far post but QPR keeper Radek Cerny blocked his strike and the Town skipper was unable to bundle the rebound home. From the corner, Damien Delaney should have scored against his old club but like McAuley before him headed over when unmarked.

Town could easily have been three goals in front but in the 22nd minute, the visitors should have got back on terms. Peter Ramage crossed from the right and Adel Taarabt flicked his header across goal and wide at the near post when it seemed easier to score.

The midfielder, on loan at Loftus Road from Spurs, failed to take another golden opportunity only a minute later when a Ben Watson freekick was cleared to him in space inside the area but he sent the ball high into the Sir Bobby Robson Stand when he again should have equalised.

Chances became rarer as the half wore on. Jaime Peters shot over form 25 yards, then just before the break Delaney’s stooping header from a Leadbitter corner went wide.

Town were good for their lead at the break, although the Blues might have been three in front if they had taken their chances, while QPR will have been disappointed that Taarabt failed to net his opportunities. The Blues had largely been on top and had looked the more dangerous team, although the visitors had kept possession well for spells but without creating too much of note, the Taarabt chances aside.

Rangers carved out an early second half opportunity which Jay Simpson sent wide of Arran Lee-Barrett’s post.

On 53 Town switched the quiet Carlos Edwards and tiring David Norris for Owen Garvan and Jack Colback, the loanee from Sunderland going to left midfield and the Irishman to the centre.

Leadbitter curled a freekick to Cerny from the edge of the area just after the hour, moments before Stead increased Town’s lead. Garvan played the ball into Stead’s feet on the edge of the box and the striker hit a curling shot on the turn which beat Cerny and nestled in the corner of the net for his fifth goal of the season.

The Blues went looking for a third and on 65 Stead won a tackle on the right and played through Jon Walters, whose shot was blocked.

QPR sub Patrick Agyemang headed over on 74, but the visitors weren’t looking like a side capable of getting back into the game with the Blues now sitting back on their two-goal lead. Connor Wickham replaced Stern John for the remaining 16 minutes.

The 16-year-old shot over two minutes after coming on, then on 78 the Blues scored their third goal. Liam Rosenior found Jon Walters running into space on the right. The skipper sent in a low cross which deflected out to Jon Stead, who slotted the ball into the net from seven yards for his sixth goal of the season, prompting an exodus from an already only three-quarters full QPR section.

It could have been even worse for the remaining Rs fans with Wickham scuffing another chance wide on 78 and Jon Stead having two opportunities to complete his hat-trick in injury time. First the former Sheffield United man was played in by Jon Walters but saw his shot saved by Cerny, then Wickham fed him in from the halfway line, his strike beating the keeper but also the post. Late on, Arran Lee-Barrett saved from Ben Watson.

A comfortable win from the Blues who seemed to show no ill effects from the Boxing Day defeat at Palace. Another early goal settled the mood and the lead could have been more convincing before Adel Taarabt missed the visitors’ two best chances of the match.

In the second half, Town always looked dangerous on the break and once they had gone 2-0 in front, Roy Keane’s side could have ended up winning even more comfortably with Jon Stead perhaps unfortunate not to complete his hat-trick.

Town are now up to 19th with any thoughts of a possible relegation increasingly in the past. All eyes are now firmly fixed on a climb up the table in the new year with the play-offs still only 13 points away with the Blues having a game in hand on Swansea in sixth with Town having now played half their 46 fixtures.

Town: Lee-Barrett, Peters, Rosenior, Delaney, McAuley, Leadbitter, Norris (Garvan 53), Edwards (Colback 53), Walters, John (Wickham 74), Stead. Unused: McLoughlin, Bruce, Couñago, Brown. Att: 25,349.

Photo: Action Images

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