Npower Championship – Favourites flop as QPR set the early pace
The npower Championship lived up to its unpredictable pre-season billing with some results that would have left punters scratching their heads.
Pre-season favourites Middlesbrough, the well-backed Reading, Bristol City and Norwich all suffered shock home defeats, resulting in the table having a somewhat upside down look to what many people had envisaged at the start of the weekend.
It took Ipswich 13 games to register a victory last season but they have already got the monkey off their back as they inflicted a 3-1 defeat on Middlesbrough. Boro led at the break through a strike from Scott McDonald but lost their way after the visitors upped their tempo and scored twice in two minutes through Tommy Smith and Tamas Priskin. Jon Stead made sure of all three points late on.
Bristol City hadn’t lost an opening game of a season for 10 years, so it was a huge surprise to see newly promoted Millwall take all three points at Ashton Gate. David James endured a nightmare debut, conceding three goals as City struggled to match-up against a well organized Lions. Darren Ward, Danny Schofield and Paul Robinson all found the target to leave Steve Coppell with some serious thinking to do.
Rob Jones’ thumping header proved the difference as Scunthorpe beat Reading 2-1 at the Madejski Stadium. The Royals ended last season on a high, but failed to pick up where they left off as they fell behind to Garry Thompson early on. Gylfi Sigurdsson levelled for the hosts but Jones struck late on to give the 349 travelling fans a day to remember.
Norwich endured a rude awakening to life back in the Championship as last year’s League One champions suffered a 3-2 loss at home to Watford. Danny Graham starred for the visitors, with a performance that suggests he maybe on the verge of a very successful season, bagging two goals of the highest quality. John Eustace notched the other, whilr Andrew Crofts and Michael Nelsen replied for the Canaries.
QPR were the biggest winners of the weekend, their 4-0 demolition job on Barnsley leaves them sitting very pretty at the top of the league. New permanent signing Adel Taarabt stole the show for the hosts, resulting in Rangers’ manager Neil Warnock declaring the mercurial Moroccan has the potential to be playing for Barcelona or Real Madrid in the future.
"He's got real talent,” he said. “He thinks he should be playing for Real Madrid or Barcelona, and I've told him that if he sticks with me he can get there.”
Jamie Mackie, Heider Helgusson and Fitz Hall and Taarabt himself grabbed the goals for the rampant Rs.
Other results;
Preston 0-2 Doncaster
Cardiff 1-1 Sheffield United
Leeds 1-2 Derby County
Hull 2-0 Swansea
Crystal Palace 3-2 Coventry
Burnley 1-0 Nottingham Forest
Tags: