Stoke City vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.
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Stoke suffer defeat on opening day of the season as Jordan Hugill and Ebere Eze score for QPR.
Saturday 3 August 2019 19:08, UK
QPR got their Championship season off to a winning start with a 2-1 victory at Stoke.
The Londoners took control of the game when debutant Jordan Hugill gave them an eighth-minute lead following a howler by Jack Butland.
The early goal allowed them to sit back and soak up pressure before hitting the Potters on the break.
And Rangers wrapped up the points early in the second half following a brilliant solo run and finish by Ebere Eze.
Sam Clucas gave City late hope when he slotted home with 12 minutes to go but they were unable to level despite some late pressure.
It could have been very different for Stoke had Sam Vokes beaten Joe Lumley to the race for a loose backpass after four minutes.
But it was the visitors who made the most of some slack defending when Butland failed to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick.
It allowed Bright Osayi-Samuel to pick out Hugill from the byline for a simple tap-in.
Clucas headed narrowly wide for Stoke after 17 minutes when he got on the end of Nick Powell's free-kick and Joe Allen fired wide from a well-worked corner two minutes later.
Josh Scowen missed a brilliant chance to double Rangers' lead when he fluffed a free header from close range on 27 minutes.
But Eze did score QPR's second in the 53rd minute with a brilliant solo goal. He burst through an empty midfield before turning his man just inside the box and slotting into the corner with confidence.
Allen went close with a cheeky backheel for Stoke before Nathan Jones made three quick substitutions, bringing on Tyrese Campbell, Lee Gregory and Tom Ince, as the Potters looked for a route back into the game.
And they gained a lifeline when Clucas smashed home after pouncing on a loose ball.
Tommy Smith fired wide from distance before QPR survived a goalmouth scramble - and then shouts for a penalty after the ball hit the hand of a defender protecting his face from a shot.
Danny Batth headed agonisingly wide in stoppage time after Lumley failed to claim a cross.
Nathan Jones: "We started well and Jack has made an error, but we should have seen the danger better after that and not allowed a free tap-in.
"We did not look like a home side who wanted to go after them and we lacked the tempo. We have to play with more urgency and cutting edge and too many players didn't have the desire."
Mark Warburton: "The second goal was a great goal and we looked really comfortable from there. Rangel has got plenty of talent and we saw it in that goal. We have got some good young players, they just need some belief at how good they can be and that will come with confidence.
"It is really pleasing to get the win, this is a tough place to come and it is a squad full of Premier League players. We knew what we faced, the atmosphere was outstanding at the start and we dealt with it and got the early goal."
