Queens Park Rangers vs Luton Town FC (8th May 2021)

Report | QPR 3-1 Luton Town

**Season ends with defeat, but the top-half **Hatters

The Hatters' season ended with an unfortunate first defeat in seven matches at QPR, on an afternoon when Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall signed off from his loan with his third Town goal in another magnificent performance from the Leicester City loanee.

Nathan Jones' side finished 12th in the Championship, the position they started the day in, but despite a dominant first-half performance, couldn't pull off the win that could have taken them level with the hosts, who ended the day where they started it, in ninth place.

Manager Nathan Jones made three changes, with George Moncur starting for the first time since defeat versus Norwich City in March, coming in for Dan Potts to enable a change of formation, with Harry Cornick and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu also included in the starting XI.

The game started with a yellow card inside the first minute, with Rangers striker Charlie Austin going into referee Tony Harrington's book for a high challenge on Matty Pearson with just 35 seconds on the clock.

Town almost took the lead in fluke style when Harry Cornick tried to slip Elijah Adebayo into the box, but Jordy De Wijs intercepted and his ricochet took the ball past wrong-footed keeper Seny Dieng, but a foot the wrong side of the post from a Town point of view.

Moncur attempted a curler, just off target, before on-loan Fulham midfielder Stefan Johansen threaded Chris Willock into the Town area, but the former Arsenal and Benfica youngster flashed his shot across Sluga and out for a throw-in on the far side.

Soon it was the Hatters' turn to attack again, Cornick picking out Moncur, who might have volleyed Huddersfield and Reading in the Cup-style, but chose to have a touch and check back. Once again, his curling effort was wide, before Adebay drove into the hosts' area after a fine ball from Dewsbury-Hall, but dragged his shot wide of the near post.

Rangers had the lead on 20 minutes though when Austin found space in the box to control Lyndon Dykes' knock-down and finish calmly past Sluga from seven yards out.

Town should have been level five minutes later when Dewsbury-Hall broke through the centre of the pitch after trading passes with Kal Naismith just outside the Hatters' area. The midfielder spread the ball left to Moncur, who took a touch before hitting a left-footed shot that was deflected just wide of the near post by a sliding Rob Dickie.

Fro the resulting corner Cornick saw a shot from outside the box go just wide, again with the aid of a deflection, before Dewsbury-Hall had the same result with a left footer from 25 yards as the Hatters asked all the questions.

It was from another corner, and Cornick's blocked shot, that Rangers broke quickly down the left, with the covering defender James Bree doing brilliantly to slide across and block Willock's shot as he burst past Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu just before the half-hour.

Captain Sonny Bradley came closest to levelling in the 41st minute, meeting Dewsbury-Hall's free-kick, after the midfielder had been fouled himself by Dykes, with a first-time volley that Dieng somehow managed to push onto the post.

The equaliser finally came in the 43rd minute, and it was that man Dewsbury-Hall, who had been involved in everything from a Town point of view during the first half. The Leicester man played Moncur in on the left once again, and when his shot was saved by Dieng, it rolled into the path of Dewsbury-Hall, who with his weaker right-foot, placed the ball into the bottom corner from just inside the box.

It was no less than the Hatters deserved, and Rangers boss Mark Warburton made a change at the break, bringing on Sam Field in place of Dykes, who had been on the wrong end of a late challenge from Glen Rea that had earned the Town man a yellow card just before the whistle.

QPR were back in front on the hour when Ilias Chair opened up the Hatters defence and played Johansen into the box to lift his effort over Sluga.

Austin chanced his arm from 25 yards in the 66th minute, but his effort flew high over Sluga's bar and it would be the on-loan West Brom striker's last action, as he was withdrawn for the R's other goalscorer in their win at Kenilworth Road in January, Macauley Bonne.

Sluga was at full stretch to divert a Willock shot behind for a corner, just before Jones made a triple change in the 71st minute, bringing on Luke Berry, James Collins and Kazenga LuaLua for Rea, Moncur and Cornick.

Collins and Berry were soon combining to create a chance for Naismith to take aim from 25 yards, but his curling effort wouldn't come down quickly enough to trouble Dieng's goal.

As we prepared to enter the last ten minutes, Berry pulled a ball back along the edge of the box for Collins to strike at goal, but his shot was blocked by Yoann Barbet, then Albert Adomah sent a free-kick over Sluga's crossbar.

Jones threw Dion Pereira on for his Town debut in the 86th minute, replacing Bree, and with his one real passage of play he beat his man into the box and cut the ball back for Collins, whose shot was blocked.

Rangers went up the other end and added a third with Adomah's injury-time tap-in, and the Hatters didn't deserve a season to remember to end that way, but they could hold their heads high.

On to 2021-22, a third season in the Championship and hopefully the return of our wonderful supporters.

Thank you the players, to the manager, his staff and all Hatters at Home for your support throughout. You have all been amazing.

COYH!

Town: Sluga; Bree (Pereira 86), Pearson, Bradley (C), Naismith; Rea (Berry 71), Mpanzu, Dewsbury-Hall; Cornick (LuaLua 71), Moncur (Collins 71); Adebayo.

Substitutes: Shea, Cranie, Potts, Tunnicliffe, Berry, Collins, LuaLua, Morrell, Pereira.

Yellows: Rea

Goals: Dewsbury-Hall

Queens Park Rangers: Dieng; Dickie, De Wijs, Barbet; Kakay, Chair, Willock, Johansen, Wallace; Dykes (Field 46), Austin (Bonne 66).

Substitutes: Walsh, Bonne, Field, Thomas, Cameron, Carroll, Hamalainen, Bettache, Adomah.

Yellows: Austin

Goals: Austin 20, Johansen 60

Referee: Tony Harrington

Nathan Jones' reaction to Queens Park Rangers defeat

The gaffer's take on a brilliant 12th-place finish...

Manager Nathan Jones wanted his teams’ performances this season to be the forefront of attention following defeat on the final day at the hands of Queens Park Rangers.

The 3-1 loss condemned the Hatters to a 12th place finish in the Sky Bet Championship, a remarkable achievement and a total improvement on last season.

Reflecting first and foremost on proceedings at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, Jones said: “We should have been out of sight first half, we had some glorious opportunities and one-on-ones where we didn’t quite show enough quality in the final third. If we did, then we would have been out of sight. Dieng has made a great save from Sonny Bradley, George Moncur had three or four opportunities. In training every single one of those goes in and I thought we were excellent first half I really did but if you don’t put teams like QPR to bed, they have quality because they spend a lot of money that can hurt you.

“It won’t take the shine off a fantastic season,” the gaffer continued. “It wasn’t the ideal finish but to finish top half and you see the drama going on elsewhere, we were absolutely no where near that and we haven’t been near that all year and that shows what a good season we have had.”

And finally, the manager had one last opportunity to praise loanee Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who not only equalised on the day but has been a superb addition to the Luton Town squad this season.

“It is at times wrong to single out certain people but he has been outstanding and he is the only reason we take loans. We don’t like taking loans because we know and we believe that we do good work so once a Premier League loan comes into us, they usually go beyond us because of the work we do.

“He has brought into everything we have done, he has been ingrained in us as anyone else that has been here for years and I’m so proud of him. He has done fantastically well and he is everything I thought he was.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My2VWOHELdQ – Nathan Jones post match interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=119Ro4NIdic – match highlights

**Dewsbury-Hall signs off with a goal as Luton finish 12th following QPR **defeat

Championship: QPR 3 Luton Town 1

Luton finished an excellent second season in the Championship by seeing their six game unbeaten run ended at the hands of QPR this afternoon.

Although defeated, which is usually the outcome at the now named Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, Town can still reflect on a hugely impressive campaign that saw them finish in 12th place.

They might have climbed up to 10th with victory, after both Millwall and Middlesbrough lost, which at one stage looked on the cards after an impressive first half, only for two goals from the hosts after the break prove enough to secure victory.

Visitors boss Nathan Jones made three changes from the goalless draw with Rotherham, George Moncur, Harry Cornick and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu coming in for James Collins, Ryan Tunnicliffe and Dan Potts, while Luke Berry was back on the bench once more.

Rangers almost conceded a bizarre own goal when Cornick's attempted through ball cannoned off a defender and flew inches wide from outside the box.

Moncur also curled over in the opening 10 minutes, while Rangers started to show their attacking intent, Chris Willock dragging his attempt out for a throw after Stefan Johansen's clever reverse pass.

It was Moncur who went close for Luton moments later, picked out by Cornick's deep cross, he took a touch before trying to bend in the far corner, missing the target.

An open contest, which was expected due to the freedom both sides could play with, saw Elijah Adebayo have a crack after beating the offside trap, unable to locate the bottom corner.

The deadlock was then broken on 20 minutes when Rangers broke down the left and Lydon Dykes' cushioned header was perfect for the completely unmarked Austin to take a touch and simply sidefoot beyond Simon Sluga.

Luton responded to the setback well, a flowing move from back to front started by Kal Naismith seeing Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall pick out the run of Moncur, who went with his left foot, deflected behind.

The corner was cleared as far as Cornick on the edge of the box, his powerful attempt taking a nick on its way behind, as did Dewsbury-Hall's potshot when he went for goal from 20 yards as well.

James Bree produced a superb recovery run to slide in and block Willock's low effort as the former Arsenal and Benfica midfielder sprinted away from the half-way line following a speedy counter attack.

Town then went as close as they had in the closing stage of the first period, Dewsbury-Hall's pinpoint free kick perfect for Sonny Bradley who flicked goalwards, only to see keeper Seny Dieng make a splendid save, tipping the point blank effort on to inside of the post and away.

Luton did then level on 42 minutes, deservedly so too, as after yet another break, Dewsbury-Hall set up Moncur on the left, who hit the target this time, Dieng parrying.

The ball dropped to Dewsbury-Hall though, who on his right foot, was able to beat the Rangers keeper and give Luton a leveller their opening half display had fully merited.

The hosts managed to wrest the initiative back in the early stages of the second period, and made their improvement pay on the hour mark with an incisive moved slicing open the Hatters' defence, with Johansen going clean through to deftly dink an effort over Sluga.

Rangers continued to dominate, Austin sending a rising attempt over from 20 yards, while Sluga then excelled in denying Willock a third, his low daisycutter tipped behind despite being unsighted by Bradley.

Town boss Nathan Jones made a triple change with 19 minutes to go in a bid to try and get something out of the game, James Collins, Luke Berry and Kazenga LuaLua on, the move close to paying dividends immediately, Berry's low shot gathered by Dieng.

Illias Chair's inventive volley had Sluga scrambling before dropping wide, before Naismith was teed up by Berry 25 yards from goal, his fierce drive brushing the roof of the net on its way over.

With four minutes left, Town gave Dion Pereira his debut after impressing for the U23s in recent weeks, but Rangers added a third with the last kick, Albert Adomah tapping into an empty net after Naismith couldn't prevent a cross beating Sluga from the right hand side.

Rangers: Seny Dieng, Lee Wallace (C), Rob Dickie, Jordy De Wijs, Yoann Barbet, Lyndon Dykes (Sam Field 46), Ilias Chair (George Thomas 77), Stefan Johansen (Geoff Cameron 86), Chris Willock, Osman Kakay (Albert Adomah 76), Charlie Austin (Macauley Bonne 66).

Subs not used: Joe Walsh, Tom Carroll, Niko Hamalainen, Faysal Bettachie.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, James Bree (Dion Pereira 86), Kal Naismith, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley ©, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Glen Rea (Luke Berry 71), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, George Moncur (James Collins 71), Harry Cornick (Kazenga LuaLua 71), Elijah Adebayo.

Subs not used: James Shea, Martin Cranie, Joe Morrell, Dan Potts, Ryan Tunnicliffe.

Bookings: Austin 1, Rea 44.

Referee: Tony Harrington

**Jones felt Town should have been 'out of sight' during first half of Rangers **loss

Hatters** chief impressed by opening 45 minutes**

Luton boss Nathan Jones was critical of his side’s inability to kill off hosts QPR during this afternoon’s 3-1 defeat at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

The Hatters had enjoyed the better of proceedings in the first half, after falling behind to Charlie Austin’s 20th minute goal.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall levelled just before half time, but despite having 17 shots throughout the 90 minutes, Town only managed to hit the target with four of them, as did QPR, only for the hosts to net three of them, Stefan Johansen and Albert Adomah scoring after the break.

Jones said: “I thought first half we should have been out of sight, I thought we had enough opportunities to have killed the game.

“Second half we didn’t really get going, they made an enforced change and that kind of threw us a bit.

“We didn’t really start and then chased the game at the end and ended up losing the game, but I’m really proud of the first half performance.

“I just felt we should have killed the game off, but we didn't show enough quality in the moments and when you don't do that, with a team like QPR they have the quality that can do that.

“That’s it, that’s the level, if you don’t take your chances, if you don't put teams to bed, they will hurt you sooner or later.

"They've got vast Premier League experience, players they’ve got in the building and recruited here, then in January they brought in Premier League experience and quality again, so it's tough to take as I thought we were outstanding first half.”

Despite the defeat, Town had still done enough to finish in 12th place and earn a top half finish, with the best points tally in the second tier since the 1981-82 season, ending up on 62.

Jones added: “I’m relatively happy with that.

“I think we’ve had a magnificent season in terms of that, we’re finding our feet at the level, we wanted to establish ourselves as a Championship side and we have established ourselves as a Championship side, because we’re top half.

“Today if we won we could have gone tenth, if we had taken our chances first half I fully expected us to do that, but that's the level.

“We've had a magnificent season in terms of relative success.

"Not many would class 12th place as a successful season, but the resources we have, the newness of us at this level, it shows we've come a long, long way.”