Richard Dunne helps QPR to clean sheet

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trapattoni was in attendance as Richard Dunne helped QPR keep a clean sheet away to Bolton and claim all three points thanks to an Andy Johnson strike.

The Italian will have been buoyed by what he saw as the Dubliner, who has not played a competitive game for Ireland since Euro 2012, came through his second 90 minutes of the season unscathed. Dunne put in a solid performance, though he was rarely troubled as QPR climbed to the top of the Championship.

Regardless, Trapattoni’s presence at the Reebok Stadium suggests the Italian is seriously considering restoring the former Aston Villa defender to the Ireland squad ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Austria next month.

Rangers needed all three points to dislodge Nottingham Forest from pole position ahead of the afternoon’s fixtures and they were indebted to Johnson’s close-range finish nine minutes after the interval.

Wanderers, meanwhile, have now failed to win any of their four opening Championship games but will highlight a tough start to the season which has seen them meet the R’s, Forest and Reading already.