Bristol City vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.
Ashton GateAttendance21,654.
Lee Johnson's side off the mark with a victory in the Sky Bet Championship
Saturday 17 August 2019 18:49, UK
Adam Nagy and Benik Afobe netted their first goals for Bristol City in a 2-0 Championship win over QPR at Ashton Gate.
The hosts took a 35th-minute lead when Afobe challenged for an aerial ball in the QPR box and it dropped for Nagy to net with a low right-footed half-volley from a central position 15 yards out.
It was 2-0 after 59 minutes, QPR goalkeeper Joe Lumley making a hash of an attempted volleyed clearance. The ball dropped to Andreas Weimann inside the box and he hooked it into the path of Afobe, who fired home from 10 yards.
It was a first win of the campaign for Lee Johnson's team, who took their chances against lively opponents lacking a cutting edge.
QPR were looking to follow up their penalty shoot-out win over Bristol City in the Carabao Cup last Tuesday night and began on the front foot.
Jordan Hugill put in the first goal attempt in the 12th minute, sending a left-footed volley from the edge of the box high over the bar from Matt Smith's pass.
Eberechi Eze shot wide from distance as the Robins took time to get into their stride.
Nagy's goal was Bristol City's first shot on target and rewarded the Hungary international, signed from Bologna, for an impressive first-half display.
Still, QPR looked dangerous going forward, and Eze burst into the box only to want too many touches and send the ball out for a goal-kick.
A flare-up between Bright Osayi-Samuel and Bristol City's Tommy Rowe just before the break saw the home player go down having appeared to be struck in the face. Referee Robert Jones decided a yellow card was sufficient for the QPR midfielder.
The visitors could feel hard done by to be behind at half-time, having contributed fully to a game of few scoring opportunities.
Bristol City had to make a change at the interval, goalscorer Nagy being replaced by another recent recruit Han-Noah Massengo.
Again, QPR began more brightly, with Hugill shooting over from an Osayi-Samuel cross.
Osayi-Samuel then broke clear down the right, only to shoot into the side-netting.
It was all QPR as Hugill forced a fine diving save from Dan Bentley with a header that looked bound for the top corner.
But it was Bristol City who struck again thanks to Lumley's error and Mark Warburton's team somehow found themselves two down.
Both managers had used all three substitutes by the 72nd minute and Bristol City's Massengo was close to a third goal soon after when his header was deflected wide.
Teenager Massengo, signed from Monaco, impressed as his side held out with reasonable comfort for three welcome points.
Lee Johnson: "I chatted with Benik [Afobe] before he signed and told him I will get him playing the best football of his career. For that to happen he has to commit to working really hard because you see the best of him when he is constantly on the move. That was the case a lot today.
"It wasn't the perfect performance by any means. But there were a lot of things that pleased me and plenty to build on. All managers are relieved to get the first win on the board and that is my overriding emotion. Rangers are a good side and I'm pleased we took our chances and defended so strongly against them."
Mark Warburton: "It's no good having a lot of possession if you are not clinical enough in the final third of the pitch. Possession is irrelevant if you don't make the most of it. We created chances, without having the necessary edge to our finishing.
"The result reads 2-0, but there will be days when we win 1-0, knowing we have been poor and fortunate. Today it is the other way around. I am happy with the way the players have taken on ideas. They have shown their quality in every game this season without always getting what they deserved."
