Ainsworth boosted by QPR's Old Trafford performance

Praise: Gareth Ainsworth gets a pat on the back from Sir Alex Ferguson
Graham Chase13 April 2012

Gareth Ainsworth says repeats of the display that saw Manchester United require a penalty to beat Queens Park Rangers will be enough for them to maintain a challenge in the Championship.

Rangers held out for 76 minutes at Old Trafford until Carlos Tevez converted from the spot to seal United's 1-0 win.

Caretaker boss Ainsworth has challenged his players, who sit seventh in the Championship, to match that level of performance in the League, starting on Saturday with Burnley.

He said: "The United game was a great taste for us and I took a lot of players with me to show what we can have if we graft together.

"If we play like we did against United then we won't go far wrong in the Championship. It was a fairytale for me but now we're back down to earth with Burnley on Saturday."

From a personal perspective Ainsworth, who has lost just one of his five League games, will be happy just to be in charge this weekend.

He added: "It's day by day and hopefully I'll be getting the boys ready for the fixture on Saturday. The Championship is important and we're not a middle-of-the-road club any more, we have massive ambition."

However, Ainsworth will have to assess the fitness of Akos Buzsaky, Daniel Parejo and Gavin Mahon ahead of the game with Burnley.

Buzsaky and Parejo were forced off with respective knee and back problems and Mahon played through a knee injury.

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