And the Full Report
Saturday, November 03, 2007
QPR Exit BottomThree With Victory Over Hull - Reports and Comments
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QPR finally (and hopefully permanently) left the bottom three (and 7 points away from a playoff spot) with a 2-0 home win over Hull. De Canio added to the departed Mick Harford's four game undefeated run, with another victory (11 points from last 5 games). A little over 12,000 saw today's game. Post-match managerial comments interpreted by Nygaard!
CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE
TOP 6
Watford 14 32
Bristol City 14 27
West Brom 14 26
Charlton 14 22
Wolverhampton 14 22
Ipswich 12 21
BOTTOM 4
QPR 13 14
Blackpool 13 13
Crystal Palace 14 12
Norwich 13 8
Full Table
REPORTS & COMMENTS
QPR OFFICIAL SITE - DE CANIO'S DELIGHT
Luigi De Canio failed to hide his delight as his reign as R's First Team Coach got off to the perfect start with a 2-0 victory against Hull City.
Speaking through a translator, De Canio told http://www.qpr.co.uk: "I'm very, very happy with the situation and the win.
"The fans in the stands were unbelievable and I'm very thankful to them."
De Canio reserved special praise for man of the match Mikele Leigertwood, whose second half wonder-goal sent the 12,000-plus crowd into raptures.
"I saw his miss against Charlton last weekend with his left foot and I've been working on his shooting with him in training this week.
"He has a nice right foot and he really showed that with his goal."
De Canio continued: "The message at half-time was to continue as normal - to play with the heart and to win the game.
"I'm very happy with the players and the fans. They (the fans) supported us very well and it's a very satisfying day for me and the Football Club." QPR
SPORTING LIFE - DE CANIO: NO ITALIAN REVOLUTION AT QPR
By Andy Sims, PA Sport
Luigi De Canio declared himself satisfied with his first taste of English football and promised there will be no Italian revolution at QPR following the 2-0 win over Hull.
Rangers climbed out of the relegation zone after fine strikes from Hogan Ephraim and Mikele Leigertwood saw off the toothless Tigers in De Canio's first game in charge at Loftus Road.
"I want to work with this group of players. There will be no revolution, I am very happy with this group," said De Canio via his interpreter, Danish striker Marc Nygaard. "I'm sorry I can't speak English, I am learning, but football is a universal language.
"This is a good league with good teams and I am very happy with the level. I am very happy with the support as well, and very satisfied with my first game in charge."
De Canio, a virtual unknown in this country until he was appointed Rangers manager on Monday, has already brought some Italian flamboyance to west London if classy goals from Ephraim and Leigertwood are anything to go by.
The former Napoli and Siena coach showed he was not afraid of making a big decision with his first line-up, dropping captain and last week's matchwinner Adam Bolder in favour of new capture Akos Buzsaky.
And after milking some warm applause prior to kick-off the 50-year-old saw his reign get off to a flyer in front of Formula One moguls Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, the club's new owners.
Rangers were already a far tougher proposition than earlier in the season following unlucky Mick Harford's spell in caretaker charge, but they stretched their unbeaten run to five games with some slick attacking play to add to a dogged defence.
Ephraim, whose loan spell from West Ham ends on Tuesday, opened the scoring in the 26th minute.
Captain Martin Rowlands sent Ephraim scampering down the left and the young winger cut inside, evaded two weak Hull challenges and thumped a 25-yard shot across Boaz Myhill and into the right-hand corner.
And the hosts doubled their lead after the break when Leigertwood ran at a hastily back-peddling Hull defence and curled a delightful shot past Myhill from just inside the area for his second goal of the season.
Hull boss Phil Brown was not impressed with his side's display, and kept his side locked in the changing room for a dressing down afterwards.
"Unfortunately that was a very uncharacteristic performance from us," he said.
"We had a long chat in the changing room and I've put across my point of view that it was unacceptable.
"We were outworked - the fans came a long way and they didn't get the commitment they deserve today." Sporting Life
QPR OFFICIAL SITE
'Rangers are back' cheered the Loftus Road masses and after a performance like this, few could argue with the 12,000-plus crowd.
Sensational strikes from Hogan Ephraim and Mikele Leigertwood lit up W12, to cap a perfect opening day for new First Team Coach Luigi De Canio.
Ephraim opened the scoring in the 26th minute, cutting inside from his left wing position before firing an unstoppable 22-yard strike past Boaz Myhill.
The R's continued to dominate and Leigertwood rubber-stamped the performance early in the second half, when he curled home only his second goal in QPR colours.
The victory increased the R's unbeaten run to five matches in all competitions, ahead of the visit of Coventry City to Loftus Road on Tuesday evening.
De Canio handed new loan signing Akos Buzsaky his full debut, as skipper Adam Bolder dropped to the bench.
The rest of the R's team remained unchanged from the 1-0 victory at Charlton last time out, with Martin Rowlands taking over the captain's duties in the absence of Bolder.
Hull boss Phil Brown recalled Jay-Jay Okocha to the starting XI, for only his fifth start since his summer switch to the Tigers.
The visitors made most of the early running, but it was Rangers who created the first chance of the match in the 14th minute.
Gifted far too much time and space in the heart of the R's midfield, Buzsaky didn't need a second invitation to shoot and duly smashed a 25-yard strike on target, which Myhill did well to tip round for a corner.
At the other end, experienced front-man Dean Windass stung the palms of Lee Camp, from a quickly taken Hull free-kick.
Buzsaky's set-pieces were causing City all sorts of problems and when Marc Nygaard stole a march on his marker to meet the Hungarian's corner midway through the half, only a poorly directed header prevented the R's from taking the lead.
Undeterred, the R's faithful didn't have to wait too long to see the first goal of the De Canio era.
Inevitably, it was the influential Rowlands who provided the assist. Picking up possession deep inside his own half, the midfield maestro turned his marker on a sixpence, before spraying an inch-perfect cross-field pass into the path of West Ham United loanee Ephraim.
Shown inside by Sam Ricketts, Ephraim took a couple touches to set himself, before drilling a spectacular 22-yard drive into the bottom right hand corner.
Strikes from distance certainly seemed to be the order of the day in an end-to-end first half, with Windass forcing Camp to scramble across his goal on the half hour, as his 18-yard curler flew inches wide.
Unlike in the first period, it was Rangers who started the second half in the ascendancy.
A free-flowing counter attack from a City corner eventually found it's way to Vine, who was guilty of delaying his pass inside to Buzsaky, which allowed Wayne Brown to clear his lines.
Moments later, Vine went alone, cutting in from the right flank before unleashing a fearsome right footed strike, which deflected into the side-netting.
Rangers weren't to be denied though, as Leigertwood added to his repertoire of outstanding individual goals with a 55th minute beauty.
As the ball broke loose to the former Sheffield United man on the angle of the penalty box, he shrugged off a challenge from a City midfielder before opening his body up and curling a sublime right footed curler into the roof of the net, giving Myhill absolutely no chance.
The R's were dominant, restricting Hull to just a solitary 70th minute Dean Marney strike, which Camp tipped round the post.
Bolder replaced the hardworking Nygaard late on, with the Hull-born midfielder ending the match with the armband strapped firmly to his left arm. QPR
HULL OFFICIAL SITE - City Beaten At Loftus Road
The Tigers produced a poor display as they went down to a 2-0 defeat at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon.
Phil Brown made two changes to his starting line up with Dean Marney and Jay-Jay Okocha replacing David Livermore and Bryan Hughes.
City were on the attack within a minute when Fraizer Campbell played Okocha in, but his effort was blocked for a corner which was wasted by the Nigerian.
Richard Garcia then won his side a free kick on the right edge of the Rangers' box. Okocha delivered onto the head of Michael Turner six yards out, but he headed over under pressure.
In the ninth minute, Damien Delaney won a free kick on the opposite side of the field after being blocked off but Okocha's delivery didn't beat the first man.
At the other end, Delaney conceded a needless corner with a shocking back pass from almost the halfway line. Ian Ashbee cleared Martin Rowlands' corner.
Boaz Myhill then had to turn Akos Buzsaky's shot from distance wide as the home side began to come to life.
Moments later Okocha tested Lee Camp with a low shot from 20 yards after Dean Windass had taken a quick free kick, but the QPR keeper held the effort.
Myhill's misplaced header on the edge of his box momentarily caused a scare for City but the defence soon recovered to prevent any danger before Marc Nygaard headed another Rowlands corner wide.
Rangers took the lead on 26 minutes. Rowlands spread play out to Hogan Ephraim on the left and when Sam Ricketts backed off, the midfielder cut inside before firing home into the far corner from 25 yards.
Windass went close to an equaliser four minutes later. After winning the ball in a 50-50 challenge, he curled a right-footed shot just wide from outside the box.
Half Time: Tigers 0-1 QPR.
The second half almost got off to a disastrous start as QPR hit City on the counter attack. It ended with Ashbee stabbing Rowan Vine's low cross just over his own bar.
Rangers went close again on 49 minutes when Vine's shot was deflected into the side netting. The resulting corner was delivered far too long.
Campbell then won City a free kick to the left of the QPR box when he was upended by Michael Mancienne, who was booked for the foul. Marney delivered into a good area, but there was no City player there to take advantage.
Rangers doubled their lead on 55 minutes. Mikele Leigertwood cut in from the right before curling a superb shot past Myhill and into the top corner.
That led to City making their first change as Stephen McPhee came on to replace Richard Garcia.
Vine went close to adding a third following some neat footwork on the edge of the area, but his final shot sailed over the bar.
Marney almost reduced the arrears on 69 minutes after a driving run, but Camp deflected his shot wide for a corner which was easily claimed by the keeper.
City then made their second change with the introduction of Nicky Featherstone for the ineffective Okocha.
Michael Turner was booked in the 80th minute following a late challenge.
The Tigers had a goal disallowed a minute from time when McPhee was ruled to be offside before applying a stylish finish. Hull
BBC - QPR 2-0 Hull
Luigi De Canio enjoyed a winning start to life as QPR manager as his side got out of the relegation zone with a deserved win over Hull at Loftus Road.
With new signing Akos Buzsaky pulling the strings in midfield and the defence in miserly form, Hogan Ephraim lit up the game with a fine solo opening goal.
Jay-Jay Okocha, Dean Windass and Dean Marney went close in reply for Hull.
But Mikele Leigertwood wrapped up the three points with a curler from range to make it five games unbeaten for QPR.
QPR: Camp, Mancienne, Cranie, Stewart, Barker, Rowlands, Ephraim, Leigertwood, Buzsaky (Ainsworth 86), Vine (Nardiello 90), Nygaard (Bolder 81).
Subs Not Used: Cole, Timoska.
Booked: Mancienne, Barker, Stewart, Vine.
Goals: Ephraim 26, Leigertwood 56.
Hull: Myhill, Ricketts, Turner, Brown, Delaney, Garcia (McPhee 58), Ashbee, Marney, Okocha (Featherstone 71), Windass, Campbell.
Subs Not Used: Duke, Dawson, Livermore.
Booked: Turner, Delaney.
Att: 12,375 Ref: Steve Tanner (Somerset). BBC
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