EZE FOR MARK Kid gets Warburton’s Hoops reign off to flier
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 r ke d Josh osh 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’ a advantage 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.