Football League round-up: Warnock's half-time rant inspires QPR to victory

Neil Warnock's half-time team talk worked wonders as QPR maintained their 100 per cent home record with a 3-0 win over Doncaster on Saturday.

Rangers are now six points clear at the top having made their best start to a season since 1947. But they did not play like it during a first half in which Doncaster looked by far the better team.

The hosts almost conceded their first goal at Loftus Road this term after 25 minutes when Paddy Kenny tipped Martin Woods' free-kick on to the post, but two second-half goals from Kaspars Gorkss, either side of Adel Taarabt's penalty, gave Rangers the victory, albeit by a flattering margin.

Warnock said: "At half-time I told three or four of my major players they were a bit short and needed to step up, and they did. I thought the save from Paddy and then the clearance from Clint Hill epitomised the team spirit."

Dave Jones saluted Cardiff's never-say-die attitude on "a bad day at the office" as they struggled to see off 10-man Millwall 2-1. Andy Keogh headed an unlikely winner a minute from time to clinch three points. Scott Barron had handed the visitors an early lead before Jay Bothroyd equalised.

Gordon Strachan bemoaned his Middlesbrough side's dreadful start after their 3-1 Championship defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road. Boro went behind after only 17 seconds when Danny Graham finished smartly.

Jordon Mutch's excellent half volley doubled Watford's lead before Graham added to Boro's misery by putting Watford 3-0 up after only 20 minutes. A late own goal from Adrian Mariappa proved to be a mere consolation. Stachan said: "It's how you deal with the mistake, and we didn't deal with it."

Derby coach Johnny Metgod insists there is more to come from Alberto Bueno after the young Spaniard's man-of-the-match display in a 5-0 hammering of Crystal Palace.

"I don't think it's right after a performance like today to single out one player, but he's a very gifted and talented player," said Metgod. "I knew that from the first time I saw him."

Early promotion contenders Ipswich laboured to a 1-1 draw at Scunthorpe, while Preston won 2-1 at Coventry despite the hosts dominating for long periods. Hull ended a 30-game winless away sequence with a 2-0 victory at Norwich, and Burnley played out a goalless draw against Bristol City. In the weekend's other match Lewis McGugan was the hero, scoring twice as Nottingham Forest beat Swansea 3-1.