Roy Keane's timely appeal as Jon Stead gives Rangers double trouble

Ipswich had good reason to celebrate as Jon Stead — sent off at Crystal Palace on Saturday — netted twice in a game he would normally have missed.

Manager Roy Keane’s decision to launch an appeal, and the lack of time at the FA’s disposal in which to consider it, granted him a reprieve.

The former England Under 21 international took full advantage as Ipswich recorded their most emphatic win of the season.

Keane said: ‘We’re not appealing to waste anybody’s time. If anything it was clumsy and a yellow card at worst. How he didn’t get a hat-trick today I don’t know but the main thing is that we had a good reaction from Saturday.’

Captain Jon Walters opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a shot that struck defender Kaspars Gorkss and squeezed past goalkeeper Radek Cerny.

At times Rangers were shambolic in defence and Adel Taarabt should have equalised with either one of his two easy chances inside the six-yard box.

The visitors dominated after the break but in the 63rd minute Stead all too easily turned Gorkss before sliding a low drive beyond Cerny.

Ipswich completed the scoring 15 minutes later when Walters’ low cross was pushed out by Cerny and Stead slid home on the rebound.

QPR boss Paul Hart said: ‘It is hard to swallow but we were the architects of our own downfall.’

Mel Henderson (Mail Online)