EZE FOR MARK Kid gets Warburton’s Hoops reign off to flier
MARK WARBURTON was a happy man as his QPR reign got off to a flying start at Stoke.
Back in the dugout for the first time in nearly 20 months since he was sacked at Nottingham Forest, Warburton’s new charges started the Championship season in style.
Goals from new striker Jordan Hugill and talented youngster Ebere Eze did the business as the Hoops aim to improve on last season’s lowly 19th place.
Warburton has made massive changes at Loftus Road and he could not have asked for more from Rangers’ revamped squad as they stunned Stoke.
“It was really pleasing,” said the QPR boss. “It’s a tough place to come but we applied ourselves really well.
“We’ve had 14 new players come in and they have really worked hard to get their fitness up and take on new ideas. I can’t speak highly enough of them.” While Warburton headed back to west London with a smile on his face, Stoke manager Nathan Jones was shaking his head at his team’s false start.
It was certainly not what he expected as the Potters begin their second season at this level after relegation from the Premier League. Jones (right) moaned: “We have got to be better than that. We were too passive for 60 minutes.
“We have to play with more tempo and more urgency. We didn’t have that real desire until the last 30 minutes.”
Stoke’s cause got off to a dreadful start as a moment of madness from Jack Butland gifted QPR a goal after only eight minutes.
There was little danger from a long ball forward but the England keeper dashed outside his area and was beaten to it near the touchline by Bright Osayi-Samuel. His cross was gleefully slid home me by Hugill as the on-loan an West Ham striker r got off the mark.
It should have been two for the visitors when Angel Rangel ’s s cross picked out ut u n m a rke d Josh o sh Scowen but he headed wide with the goal at his mercy.
Nick Powell, on his Stoke debut, looked their main threat as one free-kick was headed just wide by Sam Clucas and then he volleyed inches past the post with the outside of his foot. But Eze scored a brilliant solo goal to double the Hoops’ advantage a after the b break as he ran nearly 40 yards and fired past Butland.
As storm clouds g gathered, Stoke pu pulled one back late on w when Clucas fired home after a scramble.
They pushed hard for an equaliser and had a penalty appeal for handball against Scowen turned down, and almost rescued a point when Hoops keeper Joe Lumley missed a free-kick but Danny Batth’s header drifted inches wide.