FANTASTIC!! we beat blue square league Kettering
Rangers registered their second victory in 24 hours, thanks to another impressive showing against Kettering Town.
First half goals from Heidar Helguson and trialist Alessandro Pellicori put the Blue Square Conference outfit to the sword, on a wet and windy night at Rockingham Road.
The R's were rarely tested, with the lion's share of the play taking place in the Poppies half.
Yet despite the difficult conditions, it served as another useful exercise for Jim Magilton's men, with the big kick-off against Blackpool just ten days away.
Magilton opted to blood a mixture of First Team regulars and up-and-coming young professionals for the trip to Rockingham Road.
But the R's starting XI still featured three full internationals, in the shape of Damion Stewart, Helguson and Adel Taarabt.
Trialist Andy Marshall was given another chance to impress between the sticks, with Stewart joined in the back four by skipper-for-the-night Gareth Ainsworth, Gary Borrowdale and another trialist, Gregory Vignal.
Joe Oastler was handed the deep lying midfield role, with Taarabt, Hogan Ephraim and Matteo Alberti asked to supply the ammunition for Helguson and trialist Pellicori in attack.
Mark Cooper named a strong side himself, with only one regular starter - last season's top-scorer Gareth Seddon - missing out for the Poppies.
The inclement conditions soon became monsoon-like as the opening five minutes evolved.
Undeterred, and with a nice zip on the lush Rockingham Rose playing surface, Rangers began quite positively, with Taarabt and Ephraim their usual lively selves.
The breakthrough duly arrived on 11 minutes, when Taarabt and Oastler combined on the edge of the box and the latter played a neat threaded through ball to Vignal.
With time and space to assess his options, the French trialist delivered a trademark back post cross, which Helguson nodded down and beyond the outstretched Harper.
Kettering grew in to the match midway through the half, with Jean-Paul Marca firing wide from distance.
But it was Rangers who doubled their advantage moments later, thanks to a very well-taken Pellicori goal.
Ephraim played provider, fizzing a powerful pass slightly behind the Italian front-man, who - with a terrific first touch - found the space to set himself and thrash the ball home from close range.
It was a classy take from the big striker, which would have given Magilton and co. plenty of food for thought heading in to half-time.
Full-back Lee Brown entered the fray for Rangers at the break, with Vignal - who featured for the R's at Wycombe just 24 hours earlier - making way.
Pellicori and Helguson linked up well at the start of the second half, with the latter playing in the Italian on 53 minutes, only for his shot to lack direction, as it flew wide.
Marshall was a virtual spectator in the Rangers goal, called upon just once, in the 60th minute, to catch a routine Lee Fowler free-kick.
The expected changes followed suit seconds later, with Taarabt and Helguson replaced by Romone Rose and Antonio German respectively.
Ainsworth was the rather unfortunate recipient of what could only be described as an X-rated challenge from James Jennings a minute later. But in true Ainsworth style, the midfielder-cum-defender picked himself up, without any thought of retribution.
Rangers very nearly exacted revenge in the best possible manner from the resulting free-kick, but Oastler's rising drive flew just over from fully 25-yards.
Kettering Town: Harper, Eaden, Jennings, Noubissie, Geohaghon, Dempster, Green, Fowler (Wrack 65), Spencer (Yates 76), Marna, Boucaud.
Subs: Taylor, Cooper, Beswick, Thomas, Davis, Bussey.
Goals:
QPR: Marshall, Ainsworth (Harris 70), Stewart, Oastler (Davenport 76), Vignal (Brown 46), Borrowdale, Ephraim, Alberti, Helguson (German 60), Pellicori (Parker 70), Taarabt (Rose 60).
Subs: Putnins.
Goals: Helguson (11), Pellicori (23)
Referee: Mr A Woolmer
Attendance: 642
