The Football League Paper

LOCAL LAD TOM IS COCK-A-HOOP

- To comment on this match go to http://boards.footymad.net/ By Graham Moody

QPR may have been dominated by big names and bigger money buys in recent years, but against Ipswich Town it was a homegrown youngster who stole the headlines.

Tom Hitchcock, whose only previous claim to fame was being the son of former Chelsea keeper Kevin Hitchcock, made a dream debut as he came off the bench to tap home a last-minute winner that sent the Tractor Boys home with nightmares.

The 20-year-old was on loan at League Two Bristol Rovers last year but replaced former Spurs, Fulham and England striker Bobby Zamora with seven minutes left and had a much bigger impact than his much more illustriou­s teammate.

If QPR are to bounce straight back up, then it might be players like Hitchcock they need to rely on.

“He is a goalscorer and he can find the back of the net,” said Rangers assistant boss Kevin Bond

“We were short up front so we thought we would try and have a look at Tom and there he was to score.

“He is a homegrown boy and it is fantastic for the club.The fans like to see it if you can bring on a youngster and if they can make an impact there is nothing better.”

Ipswich thought they had done enough to weather the QPR storm, which came almost entirely through Charlie Austin, before Hitchcock’s interventi­on.

Austin saw shots blocked, saved and hit the crossbar in a frustratin­g day for the former Burnley man before his skewed shot was parried by Scott Loach to the feet of Hitchcock for the winner.

Joey Barton was influentia­l throughout and Bond was noncommitt­al as to whether the controvers­ial midfielder will be at the club come September, though he did though think there would be more signings.

“He is focused on the day to day at the training ground and Harry plays him on merit and he played really well again,” added Bond. “Whether he will still be here at the end of the window I wouldn’t want to say. He might want to look at a move or Marseille might want to buy him but we don’t discuss it with him.

“At the moment it is just speculatio­n and we only talk about us and what we are trying to do.

“I think we are short in the creativity department and it is those areas Harry will be looking at.

“You need goals and creativity and Harry has always liked that.

“It’s an area we could improve. I don’t think we are quite finished bringing players in.”

Ipswich carved out only two chances of note, when Rob Green denied Daryl Murphy in the first half and then blocked David McGoldrick’s late shot late on.

But they went toe-to-toe to QPR for long periods and they have now run two relegated teams close, having lost 2-1 to Reading on the opening day. Not that that is any consolatio­n to manager Mick McCarthy.

“If you are looking for yardsticks in terms of performanc­e both have been pretty good,” he said.

“But if we want to contest top six, pretty good has got to be points.

“We have to have a point at Reading and a point here.

“I am encouraged by the group of players we have got and the characters we have got, but we shouldn’t be patting ourselves on the back saying well done because we have diddly-squat to show for it.

“I am not envious of QPR, I don’t do envy. I have become pretty adept at dealing with what I have got, whether it be my own ability as a footballer or ability as a manager.

“I am delighted with the players I have got, think I have got good players.”

 ?? PICTURES: Action Images ?? HAPPY CHAPS: QPR’s Tom Hitchcock is mobbed by teammates after scoring the late winner
PICTURES: Action Images HAPPY CHAPS: QPR’s Tom Hitchcock is mobbed by teammates after scoring the late winner
 ??  ?? QPR
FORMATION: 4-4-2
ROBERT GREEN Superb save from Murphy in the first half showed his class
DANNY SIMPSON
8
9 Constant forward runs caused problems for Ipswich and defended stoutly too
RICHARD DUNNE
7 Likes a good old-fashioned boot through the...
QPR FORMATION: 4-4-2 ROBERT GREEN Superb save from Murphy in the first half showed his class DANNY SIMPSON 8 9 Constant forward runs caused problems for Ipswich and defended stoutly too RICHARD DUNNE 7 Likes a good old-fashioned boot through the...
 ??  ?? RIGHT PLACE: Hitchcock scores the winner
RIGHT PLACE: Hitchcock scores the winner

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