TRAVIS HOT!
THE past came back to haunt new QPR boss Michael Beale as he looks to plot an exciting future for the Hoops.
Freshly installed as Blackburn captain and once in a Liverpool Under-16s side coached by Beale, Lewis Travis struck a wonder goal to launch the Jon Dahl Tomasson era with a hard-fought victory.
Granted a licence to attack it had all started so well for Beale as he witnessed his new charges dominating, with Osman Kakay crashing a long-range drive against the woodwork, Blackburn keeper Thomas Kaminski getting a vital touch.
But the Championship can be a cruel environment and Rovers endorsed that as far as the Rangers head coach is concerned.
Midfielder Travis exploded in the 35th minute at Ewood Park as he fired a stunning 25-yard strike beyond Seny Dieng.
What a way to treat your former coach – but the visitors only had themselves to blame, their fluid attractive football lacking any real punch up front. Beale (inset)
By John Richardson AT EWOOD PARK
admitted: “I thought it was a harsh result. We had lots of passages of possession but in the last 25 yards we have to be better.
“I thought our last cross, our last pass was poor all day.
“When we came off the pitch, he whispered to me about our past at Liverpool.
“I am so proud of him. I know his dad and his granddad were in the stand today and I knew them for a long time when I went up to Liverpool.
“For him to be captain of a club of this size is a fantastic personal achievement.”
Tony Mowbray departed Rovers after a promotion play-off fade out, par for the course for this club during their frustrating exile from the Premier League.
Tomasson, who led Malmo to successive
Swedish championships, is the latest incumbent hoping to bring back the balmy days when, under Jack Walker and Kenny Dalglish, they competed with the elite. A double-armed salute from the Dane, who Dalglish signed at Newcastle, signalled his first three points. He said: “We saw a side fighting for each metre. That’s what you need. You need to show passion as players. “We need the fans to do that as well and they did, getting behind the team.
“And we scored a great goal and that would have been a great feeling for Lewis who was captain for the first time.” Kaminski 6; Brittain 6, Ayala 7, S.Wharton 7, Pickering 6; Hedges 6, Travis 8, Buckley 7; Gallagher 6, Brereton-Diaz 7, Vale 6 (Dolan (64) 6)
Dieng 6; Kakay 7, Dickie 7, Clarke-Salter 7, Paal 6; Dozzell 6 (Thomas (64) 6), Johansen 6 (Armstrong (77) 6), Field 6; Chair 7, Shodipo 7 (Adomah (64) 6);Dykes 6 (Bonne (77) 6)
Lewis Travis. A captain’s performance to get
Jon Dahl Tomasson’s reign off to a winning start.
T Bramall 7