NK KARLOVAC 3-1 QPR
Rowan Vine marked his return to the QPR front-line with a goal, but Jim Magilton's men went down to a 3-1 defeat to PRVA Liga side NK Karlovac in Croatia tonight (Sunday).
The R's front-man opened the scoring late on in the first half, only for the hosts - who begin their League campaign next weekend - to respond with three goals in a eleven minute purple patch, to the delight of a 2,000-plus home crowd.
Zvonko Pamic equalised from the spot, before two goals in as many minutes from Matija Stefancic and Haris Redzepi handed the hosts a rather flattering victory.
Magilton handed trialist Martin Lejsal a start in goal, with the keeper lining up behind a back four of Peter Ramage, skipper Fitz Hall, Kaspars Gorkss and Gary Borrowdale.
Gareth Ainsworth and Hogan Ephraim occupied the wide midfield berths, with Matteo Alberti partnering Alejandro Faurlin in the middle of the park.
Rowan Vine returned from injury to line up alongside Patrick Agyemang in attack.
The first chance of note fell Vine's way in the eighth minute.
A long through ball from Borrowdale caused hesitancy in the Karlovac rearguard, but despite beating his marker to the loose ball, Vine's connection was poor and home custodian Hrvoje Sunara gathered comfortably.
The hosts, to their credit, were playing some neat stuff of their own, despite the long playing surface not making it conducive for free-flowing, quick passing.
Karlovac's first attempt on goal arrived midway through the half.
After picking the ball up inside his own half, Ivan Lajtman strode with purpose before letting fly from 30-yards with an effort that whistled wide.
Josip Jerneic was next to try his luck, firing wide from an acute angle after the R's were punished for relinquishing possession far too cheaply in their own half.
And it was the hosts who continued to pose the greater attacking threat, with the lively Jerneic having a goal chalked out for offside eight minutes before the interval.
Rangers were continually frustrated by a combination of poor officiating and the theatrics of the Karlovac players, but their despair was short-lived.
Faurlin's quick thinking from a quickly taken free-kick paid dividends when he spotted Vine making a break on the edge of the penalty box.
And having got goalside of his marker, the shaven haired front-man slotted home at the second attempt from the edge of the six-yard box to hand Rangers a one goal lead.
That's the way it stayed until the break, at which Magilton introduced Gavin Mahon and trialist Alessandro Pellicori.
But it was that man Vine who nearly made it two in the 53rd minute, firing a fierce drive on target, which Sunara parried before gathering at the second time of asking.
The inevitable changes followed minutes later, with Messrs Routledge, Buzsaky and Leigertwood all entering the fray, before Magilton introduced four more players midway through the half.
Pellicori's height made him a threat from set-pieces and from a Buzsaky corner in the 69th minute, the Italian forward glanced wide.
Play switched quickly to the other end though and the hosts were awarded a spot-kick when Lejsal was adjudged to have tripped the roaming Stefancic and Pamic stepped up to send the giant Czech the wrong way from 12-yards.
Stefancic was the pick of the hosts' attacking players and he made it 2-1 eleven minutes from time, with an audacious effort from the left angle of the penalty box, that left Lejsal clutching at thin air.
And bad turned to worse for the R's three minutes later, when Redzepi punished hesitancy in the R's back four and expertly clipped the ball into the far corner of the net.
NK Karlovac: Sunara, Pilipovic, Vukman (Matika 75), Paracki (Stambolija 85), Baric (Redzepi 75), Novinic (Tokic 86), Jerneic (Stefancic 61), Lajtman, Pamic, Bunoza, Karabatic.
Subs: Parazajder, Vucemilovic-Grdic, Iftic, Redzepi, Kovacevic.
Goals: Pamic (70), Stefancic (79), Redzepi (81)
Bookings: Pamic (81), Bunoza (91)
QPR: Lejsal, Ramage (Connolly 67), Borrowdale, Alberti (Leigertwood 59), Gorkss (Oastler 67), Hall (Brown 67), Ainsworth (Buzsaky 59), Ephraim (Routledge 59), Vine (Helguson 67), Faurlin (Mahon 46), Agyemang (Pellicori 46).
Subs: Cerny, Balanta.
Goals: Vine (41)
Bookings: Pellicori (83)
