Town’s unbeaten start to the season came to an abrupt end as Neil Warnock’s impressive QPR side ran out comfortable 3-0 winners at Portman Road. Jamie Mackie struck twice in the first half and Heidar Helguson added a third from the spot after the break.

Darren O’Dea wasn’t risked for Town after aggravating his injured knee at Portsmouth on Saturday and Mark Kennedy came in at left-back for his home debut. As expected, loanee Andros Townsend came in for Tamás Priskin on the left of the front three having completed his one-match ban.

QPR’s Heidar Helguson struck the game’s first shot in the opening minute, but despite heavy pre-match rain making the surface slippery, Márton Fülöp gathered easily.

The first scare in the visitors’ penalty area came from a Grant Leadbitter freekick, which was headed into the air just in front of Jason Scotland with Paddy Kenny claiming at the second attempt. For Rangers, Clint Hill was found by a long freekick down the left but headed wide.

QPR probably should have gone in front in the ninth minute when Matthew Connolly was left unmarked at a corner but headed over. The game was held up on 14 when the linesman in front of the Cobbold Stand, David Margetts, hobbled off injured.

The visitors were having the better of the game’s few chances and in the 25th minute a freekick from the right eventually found Helguson on the left . The Icelander’s shot looked to be going wide but Fülöp made sure by pushing it wide.

Town’s Hungarian keeper was in action again moments later, doing superbly to claim Taarabt’s out-swinging cross, then stopping the former Spurs man’s low shot after a quick QPR break from halfway.

The visitors were continuing to have the better of it, certainly creating more chances, and on the half hour mark they went in front. Diminutive striker Jamie Mackie was found inside the area by a Helguson flick, Tommy Smith and Mark Kennedy both blocked his first effort, leaving themselves grounded as the ex-Plymouth man took the ball past Hyam and beat Fülöp from six yards.

McAuley nodded a Helguson header from a tight angle from under the bar a minute later, prior to Rangers midfielder Alejandro Faurlin being forced off injured, Akos Buzsaky taking over.

Town weren’t far from a fluke goal in the 41st minute when Gareth McAuley’s shot from the left after a corner hit Jason Scotland. The ball could have gone anywhere but struck a defender before going out for another corner, from which the visitors broke and increased their lead.

Adel Taarabt found Mackie on halfway and the striker took the ball on unchallenged into the Town penalty area before coolly slipping it past Fülöp. In the final minute of normal time, the largely isolated Jason Scotland was booked for catching Paul Connolly with a frustrated stray arm.

And that just about summed up Town’s first half. The Blues had created little of note, McAuley’s deflection off Scotland was their best opportunity, and too often long balls forward had quickly been returned. Town had struggled to cope with QPR’s attacking threat, Mackie taking his two chances confidently and the visitors always looked more likely to score.

Unsurprisingly, Roy Keane made two changes at the break, Connor Wickham and Tamás Priskin replacing Andros Townsend and Luke Hyam, who had struggled against Taarabt for the most part. Wickham went to the centre of the front three with Scotland and Priskin in the deeper right and left roles respectively.

Town had a great chance to pull a goal back in the 50th minute when Wickham did superbly to hold off a defender before cutting the ball back to Edwards, who scuffed his shot wide and behind the on-rushing Norris.

The chance seemed to give the Blues a boost and soon after Scotland held the ball up on the left and played a pass inside to Leadbitter, whose strike flew wide.

Scotland shot low through to Kenny, but Town were still to truly test the former Sheffield United man and the visitors were looking dangerous whenever they broke, Helguson scuffing a shot wide in the 57th minute.

Just before the hour, Fülöp saved first from Mackie, although there appeared to be a hint of offside as he broke forward, then made a similarly impressive stop from a Taarabt diving header. The Moroccan was subbed soon after, making it clear he was less than impressed to be replaced.

In the 67th minute Tommy Smith was booked for a cynical foul on the breaking Mackie on halfway, just prior to the visitors adding their third in slightly bizarre circumstances.

Smith tackled Mackie as the ball was played into feet just inside the area, the loose ball falling for Akos Buzsaky 20 yards out. The Hungarian slammed an unstoppable effort past his international team-mate Fülöp, but referee Keith Stroud had already blown his whistle for a penalty, having somewhat harshly deemed Smith’s challenge a foul. Helguson stepped up to score from the spot.

Leadbitter was booked for a foul, then on 71 Troy Brown replaced Carlos Edwards, Jaime Peters moving into midfield.

Wickham saw a shot deflect wide on 74 after a neat take, but Kenny continued to have a quiet evening. QPR sub Tommy Smith came close to a fourth moments after coming on in the 80th minute, but scuffed wide.

Town never looked like getting back into it against a QPR side which was the better side throughout. It was a difficult game for several of Town’s more impressive performers so far this season. Luke Hyam had his most challenging first team game so far up against the clever Taarabt, while Jaime Peters’s lack of height was exploited on a number of occasions.

Mark Kennedy looked off the pace after his absence through a hamstring injury, while Wickham showed his quality when he came on, providing a brief boost before the third goal killed what hope was left for Town.

Overall, the Blues, unbeaten up to now, were shown to be somewhat short when up against a QPR side, who on this form will certainly be the side to beat in the Championship this season. A further stiff test awaits Town, who are now fifth, when Cardiff visit on Saturday.

Town: Fülöp, Peters, Kennedy, McAuley, Smith, Hyam (Priskin 46), Leadbitter, Norris, Edwards (Brown 71), Townsend (Wickham 46), Scotland. Unused: Murphy, Eastman, Healy, Hourihane. Att: 19,931 (QPR: 976).

Photo: Action Images

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