Bolton Wanderers vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.
University of Bolton StadiumAttendance13,581.
Luke Freeman and Eberechi Eze on target for QPR
Sunday 16 September 2018 19:41, UK
Steve McClaren earned his first away win as QPR boss as a traumatic week for hosts Bolton ended in a 2-1 Sky Bet Championship defeat at the University of Bolton Stadium.
Luke Freeman put the Londoners in front after 25 minutes and then created Rangers' second for Eberechi Eze in the 56th minute. Substitute Josh Magennis pulled a goal back with a 69th-minute free-kick.
But Wanderers, saved from administration in a week they also mourned the death of former benefactor, Eddie Davies CBE, could not prevent a second successive home defeat.
The life of Bolton's president and former chairman was marked with a minute's applause before kick-off.
The sombre mood was reflected in the Lancastrians' flat start. Only a David Wheater clearance prevented QPR taking a second-minute lead.
Nahki Wells ran on to Tomer Hemed's header and squeezed an angled right foot shot past Ben Alnwick but Wanderers' skipper covered back before the ball crossed the line.
Wells turned creator after 22 minutes but Eze shot high over the crossbar from 20 yards after his team-mate squared a pass into his path.
There was no mistake, however, three minutes later with a similar move down the Wanderers' left.
This time Wells squared the ball into the penalty area for Luke Freeman to slide in at the near post and guide a shot beyond Alnwick for his first Championship goal of the campaign.
Jordan Cousins lashed another long-range effort over the home goal as Rangers looked to turn the screw.
Bolton's cause was not helped when Sammy Ameobi hobbled off 10 minutes before half-time with a leg injury to be replaced by Yanic Wildschut.
Finally, two minutes from the break, Wanderers fashioned their first chance but Craig Noone swivelled and sent a left-foot effort wide from 12 yards.
Bolton were livelier after the break and Wheater was not too far from heading an equaliser as he climbed highest to meet Gary O'Neil's corner after 52 minutes.
But any suggestion of a revival was quickly snuffed out as Rangers doubled their lead after 55 minutes.
Freeman had time and space inside the area to pick out Eze who turned and fired home left-footed from 12 yards.
Bolton's response was to bring on Magennis to partner debut boy Christian Doidge in attack.
Ten minutes later the Northern Ireland born striker brought the home side back into contention.
Doidge was fouled on the edge of the area by Cousins and Magennis fired a right-footed free-kick through the wall and the hands of Joe Lumley into the net for his fourth goal of the season.
Wanderers dominated the closing stages as Rangers looked to protect their first away day success since beating Aston Villa last March.
Pawel Olkowski's 25-yard drive was tipped to safety by Lumley while Erhun Oztumer scuffed a tame effort goalwards after 85 minutes.
Phil Parkinson: "It was disappointing to end the week on a poor result. We had a lot of the ball but we didn't do enough with it to create opportunities. When we did we weren't clinical enough. Both goals, particularly the second one, we weren't strong enough with one or two challenges."We kept going and got the goal back and Oztumer had a great
chance to get us level. But we are disappointed because we wanted to put in a performance that would have done Eddie Davies proud. And we weren't able to get that result."
Steve McClaren: "We defended it well but other days you don't get away with that. So I am disappointed in that because we should have been out of sight, not holding on. However, we've got seven points from three games and we showed we can do everything. We can play football, we can compete and work hard and get results away from home which is tough.
"The start of the season was poor. But we really only had two bad halves; the second against West Brom and the second against Bristol City. The rest have been okay but this and the other two performances showed we can compete a lot better than we did four or five weeks ago. Now, we have got to build on this."
