A win is a Win but it has to be balanced against the quality of the opposition. They are by no means a top Austrian side and a defeat to them even in a pre season friendly with a below par side would have been a bad result.
Difficult to judge properly on only Tweets but seems Pedder did well and of course Armstrong got his goal.
The opposition were relegated from the Austrian 2nd Division last season and whilst we should have expected the win these games are more about getting fit and Ainsworth implementing his tactics. The worry for me is that if it was anything like last week then most of our attacking play was a high ball to Lyndon.
Hopefully, the trip has achieved the required team bonding and helped to sharpen up the players fitness.
I have now watched the highlights and it was dominated by the Hogwarts goalkeeper who pulled off some very good saves. He was the best player on the pitch although our finishing was poor.
From a QPR perspective plenty of players got minutes, we seemed to create plenty of chances and there didn't appear to be any player getting a major knock. It was also good to see the ball being played to feet although they were of a non league quality so it was easier to play that sort of game rather than against a team like Prague. Sinclair Armstrong will make things happen whether he stays or goes out on loan and it was good to see him score. He might have been disappointed not to score with his initial header but he was aware enough to bundle the rebound over the line.
Joe Walsh got his chance in goal and didn't appear to have much to do but wouldn't have been happy with the goal he conceded. He parried a shot straight to an opposition forward who put the ball into the net.
Overall I'd imagine that Ainsworth would be pleased and looking forward to getting another goalkeeper and striker.
Post by northwesthoop on Jul 16, 2023 11:05:47 GMT
On the highlights Kelman and Smyth looked bright.
In the first half we were making a right mess of some very easy chances.
Armstrong should have had an assist too but somehow their keeper made a wonder save after Armstrong muscled his way clear and crossed for Pedder I think who should have scored.
OK, 5 minutes of actual play out of 90 minutes does not give a full picture, but the chances shown confirmed what Gareth Ainsworth said: their goalie was their best man (by a mile)! Some great saves and I am sure he will be a great asset to them this season. The penalty was soft but it did Lyndon Dykes no harm to put away a match-time penalty. Add to that decent performances from the squad and what looked to be a good one from Smyth in particular, plus Armstrong's bundled in first competitive goal at this level, and you have to have a smile on your face.
Onto the Cherry Red Stadium next Saturday afternoon. I am looking forward to being there!
