Rohan Ricketts started his first game in blue and white hoops but this is likely to be an outing he’d rather forget.

Jake Cole was behind a back four of Aaron Goode, Mauro Milanese, Sampsa Timoska and Lee Brown. Shabazz Baidoo lined up in midfield alongside Jimmy Smith, Ricketts and Chris Arthur, who was making his first ever reserve team start. Upfront Romone Rose was paired with Stefan Moore.

Rangers were three down by half time as first Gatting then Nathan Elder and Gary Hart gave the Seagulls a roaring start. Hart and Gatting took the scoreline to 5-0 shortly after the break with their second goals of the game.  

Stefan Moore scrambled home to make it 5-1 but Gatting completed his hatrick before any hopes of a comeback could be established.

A few minutes of madness then followed as Warren Neil saw his side receive two red cards. First Rose was sent off for a second bookable offence, then ‘keeper Cole was given second use of the bath water after allegedly handling outside his area. 

Under 18’s stopper Chris Goodchild took Cole’s place and his first task was to pick the ball out of the back of net thanks to Gatting’s free kick. A few minutes later Gatting bagged his fifth, and Brighton’s eighth, when he lobbed the unfortunate Goodchild.  

Ricketts banged in a free kick in the dying moments of the game to show John Gregory just what he is capable of but it made no difference to an otherwise forgettable game for Rangers.  

Defeat leaves Rangers in no mans land in the Combination League Table, we have slipped to sixth place in the eight team league with Southampton having already wrapped up the league title.  

We have a little flurry of games in April to wrap up a stop start season at this level. Next week we face Wycombe at Loftus Road, then it’s a week off before a run of three matches in the final three weeks of the month.

QPR: Cole, Goode, Milanese, Timoska, Brown, Baidoo, Ricketts, Smith, Arthur, Rose, Moore. Subs used: Goodchild, St. Aimie, O'Brien.