‘Great feeling’ to play at Forest – Doughty

Soccer - Pre-season Friendly - Southend United v Queens Park Rangers - Roots Hall

Michael Doughty, whose late father Nigel was Nottingham Forest’s owner, says it was a “really great feeling” to play for QPR at the City Ground on Saturday.

Nigel Doughty, a lifelong Forest fan, bought the club in 1999 and took over as chairman three years later. He died suddenly in 2012 at the age of 54.

Michael Doughty told QPR Player: “I had a lot of good memories there growing up, a place that I visited a lot with my old man.

“So it was a really great feeling to run out at the City Ground, but obviously disappointing that we didn’t win.”

Rangers’ 1-0 defeat meant another swift exit from the FA Cup and leaves them still waiting for their first win since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink took over as manager.

“I felt as if there wasn’t much between the two sides,” midfielder Doughty, 23, said.

“In the first half we didn’t really take the game to them but in the second half we really did.

“We need to start games much better and need to be a little bit more proactive in our approach to the games.”