No Eze fix as Steve’s strugglers start climb
STEVE McCLAREN insists his QPR side are still in “the pit” despite seeing off a late onslaught to win at Bolton and climb out of the bottom three for the first time this season.
Goals from Luke Freeman and Ebere Eze either side of the break were enough to see off battling Bolton and make it four games unbeaten.
But former England boss McClaren reckons there is plenty more to come from his side as they look to climb the Championship table.
He said: “We still have a very long way to go and because of our poor start we can’t think of targets for the season, it’s just one game at a time. We are still in ‘the pit’ as I call it.
“I almost had a heart attack towards the end as they threw the kitchen sink at us.
“But that is Championship football.”
It had been a hard week for Bolton off the pitch, with the passing of former owner Eddie Davies and their well documented money troubles.
And things were not much better on it as they were outgunned by a slick QPR side who appear to have turned the corner after starting the season with four straight defeats.
The opening goal had a touch of class about it as Freeman ended a flowing move to double his tally for the season.
Eze added a second 10 minutes after the restart with the only other shot on target from either side in the first hour.
There was no lack of effort from the Trotters, though, and they pulled a goal back when second-half substitute Josh Magennis thumped his free-kick so hard it simply smashed through the QPR wall and keeper Joe Lumley.
Pawel Olkowski had a drive tipped over late on as they finished the game strongly.
But a second defeat in three games ended a horrible week for the Bolton fans, players and boss Phil Parkinson.
“It has been a tough week,” he said.
“It is a shame that we could not get the win for Eddie but I am sure he is looking down on us and saying, ‘That’s football’.”