SINCLAIR’S GOT HOOPS A HIGH FIVE
Camp says Blues hat-trick hero Che is simply unstoppable
Smith Adams Cousins Dean
a fantastic professional and a really good human being.
“If anything, he’s probably worked even harder and been even more professional and more conscientious, because when you get that kind of attention you can lose your focus and have a bad game.
“He’s a model professional and he’s very level-headed. I’m glad we’ve got him. I always say to him ‘play ugly’ and when he does that he’s unstoppable – sticking his backside into people, using his upperbody strength, his ability to drop his shoulder and shoot. He’s got all the attributes of an old-fashioned centre forward and he stands out from the rest.”
Adams (celebrating his hatspeculation REF: ATT: trick, above) scored three goals in 21 minutes (the second, below) as Birmingham raced into a 4-0 first-half lead, with Harlee Dean scoring the other, before QPR fought back.
Matt Smith scored a goal either side of the break and Jordan Cousins fired in a piledriver with 10 minutes to go.
Rangers went close numerous times before earning a 93rdvery minute penalty when Luke Freeman was fouled by Craig Gardner. Camp saved Nahki Wells’s spot-kick, although referee Darren Bond should have ordered a retake because of blatant encroachment by seven Birmingham players.
QPR have still not won a league match in 2019 and lost their past four games. They have a big week, facing Bristol City away tomorrow before a home fifth-round FA Cup tie against Watford on Friday.
“The message in the dressing room was go and win the second half, which we did with aplomb,” goalscorer Smith said.
“We have to take the confidence from that because we have two really tough games coming up.”
QPR: BIRMINGHAM: MOTM CHE ADAMS (BIRMINGHAM) SCOTT SINCLAIR struck a hat-trick as Celtic cruised into the quarter-finals of the Scottish cup with a 5-0 rout of St Johnstone.
Brendan Rodgers’ side were two up inside nine minutes through Sinclair and Scott Brown and finished off after the break with two more from Sinclair and a James Forrest effort.
Brown’s goal was the midfielder’s first in two years and he said: “I forgot how to celebrate but here’s hoping for a few more.
“It was lovely, but for me it was just about getting through to the next round.”
The win is Celtic’s 24th consecutive domestic cup victory under Rodgers as they continue to chase a third successive treble.
Auchinleck Talbot’s cup run came to an end with a 4-0 loss at Hearts.
MATCH STATS