Mick Beale delighted after ‘gamble’ of unchanged QPR team pays off against Hull

QPR boss Mick Beale was delighted after his “gamble” to select an unchanged team paid off against Hull.

Rangers won 3-1 at Loftus Road, where first-half goals from Ilias Chair, Ethan Laird and Chris Willock secured the points.

Injuries to key players – including Willock – hampered Rangers in the opening matches of the season, but they followed up Saturday’s win at Watford with another impressive victory.

Beale said: “It was a gamble to throw the same team out there, but it’s something I’ve been waiting to do. In every game I’ve had to make three or four changes.

“It was a gamble because of the amount of energy we put into the weekend and the lack of time to recover. The Championship is relentless.

“But they gave me everything that I wanted in the first half. That’s more like what I want from us – especially here at home, playing on the front foot.

“After that we were a little bit unsure at times and Hull made a real good push of the game. Credit to them because their energy was big.

“But in the first 30 minutes I thought we were excellent with some of the football we played.”

Beale defended striker Lyndon Dykes, who squandered a chance make it 4-0 early in the second half when he missed an open goal.

“Lyndon worked tirelessly again, winning all his flick-ons and holding the ball up,” Beale said.

“He’s missed a big chance where he’s overthinking it, but his general play for the team is excellent.”

Hull boss Shota Arveladze bemoaned his team’s poor start and a couple of misses by striker Oscar Estupinan.

Asked to assess City’s performance, the Georgian said: “I don’t know which minute it is better to start from; missing the first half an hour of the game or after 20 minutes when Oscar could keep us in the game – twice – and he didn’t, or to start from the kick-off.

“I don’t blame Oscar or anyone else. I’m not picking up on one or two of the players. In general, we are looking and observing the opposition for too long sometimes and it has cost us the game.”

The Tigers were beaten 5-2 in the previous away match, at West Brom, and 5-0 by Bristol City in their final away fixture of last season. They have now conceded 16 goals in their past six games on the road.

Arveladze said: “Leave the last year. It was last year and we should better now concentrate on this year. But it doesn’t mean that I’m not counting or I don’t know how to count.

“But like I say, sometimes we observe in matches too long. We have to react earlier.”