Charlie Austin showed his Premier League potential with two fine goals as QPR's recent improvements continued with a 2-0 home win against Aston Villa on Monday.

More effort, more hard work, more commitment, more confidence, a lot more entertainment, a lot more goal threat, a sense of purpose, and a victory. But, more important than all of this, Queens Park Rangers are starting to look like they have some semblance of a plan.

It's the lack of a plan that hurts QPR the most, on and off the pitch. Off the field it's all haphazard, unfulfilled promises about training grounds and focus on academy, and a pie in the sky dream about a new stadium on some land somebody else owns and doesn't want to sell. On the field it's a collection of individuals, expensively assembled, slung together in a variety of combinations, shapes and systems followed by a string of excuses about fitness, injuries and bad luck when it doesn't work out. As a result, QPR are consistently outperformed by clubs of similar sizes with clear strategies.

But in the last two home games at least, Harry Redknapp and his players have hit upon a proper plan. It's not pretty, it's not going to win many friends, and it's almost entirely reliant on the continued fitness of an ageing target man who has shown repeatedly since his expensive acquisition from Fulham nearly three years ago now that he is physically shot, but it's a plan all the same, and it's making a hell of a difference.

Knocking it long to Bobby Zamora and feasting on the service he can provide thereafter was always likely to cause problems for a Liverpool team with a vampire-like fear of crosses into their penalty area, and a manager who has perhaps tipped too far towards sitting his players down on soft furnishings and talking about the "collective" and the "whole" rather than getting them out on a muddy training pitch to work on marking at set pieces. QPR were dreadfully unfortunate to lose a game they should have been out of sight in by half time last time out on this ground.

Trying the same formula against Monday night's visitors Aston Villa looked foolhardy. Long balls floated in the direction of Zamora would, by definition, also be played into the vicinity of Villa's Dutch centre back 'Concrete' Ron Vlaar. Would he even need to change out of his club suit to deal with such rudimentary opposition?

The first quarter of an hour suggested not. QPR were shambolic. Leroy Fer, a right footed central midfielder, was picked on the left wing. Eduardo Vargas, who troubled Liverpool with two late goals as a central striker, had to make do with a spot out of position on the right. Sandro, who Harry Redknapp mentions in every interview and clearly believes holds the key to QPR's survival this season, gave the ball away almost as if he'd been threatened by snipers on the roof that they'd pick him off if he dared find a team mate with a pass.

Villa, on a run of four straight defeats without scoring but knowing this was easily their most winnable game during an unfortunate run of fixtures that has essentially seen them play the best six teams in the country one after the other, realised they might be onto something. Ashley Westwood, educated at Crewe and looking quite at home in the Premier League, struck a firm volley that Robert Green was fortunate to see fly straight at him — two yards left or right and Villa would have been ahead after three minutes.

Green was due to begin this game on the bench until Alex McCarthy suffered a thigh injury beforehand. He was called into action again 60 seconds later when Colombian international Carlos Sanchez, who comprehensively dominated the first half from the centre of Villa's midfield, tried an ambitious 40 yarder that, again, flew straight at the keeper.

It had Redknapp's critics reaching for the knife block. After 30 years in the game as a manager, was this really the best he could do? A basic 4-4-2, with two players out of position, and long balls being knocked to an ageing target man?

Then, from nothing, Rangers took the lead. Richard Dunne, keeping his place at centre half and looking a lot more solid alongside Steven Caulker than Rio Ferdinand did previously, knocked that long ball towards Zamora . Vlaar found himself pinned behind the striker — too casual, too complacent, not determined enough to get in front of his man and win the header. Zamora chested the ball down perfectly for Charlie Austin to stride onto confidently and glide into the bottom corner of Brad Guzan's net from 20 yards out. A beautiful finish to route one approach work.

QPR should have taken a good deal of confidence from that Liverpool game, despite the result and the heartbreaking circumstances around it. Early on it looked as though they'd remembered the disastrous, last-second Steven Caulker own goal more than the 94 minutes of hard work and enterprising play that preceded it. But the goal, against the run of play, settled the R's down and they began to look like a genuine Premier League team for pretty much the first time this season.

Villa continued to create chances — Green's full stretch dive suggested he wasn't sure Christian Benteke's flicked header was going wide for instance. But Several Rangers players started to grow into the game. Caulker and Dunne buried Benteke just as they had done with Mario Balotelli the previous week. Sandro stopped giving the ball away as much, but even when he was handing possession over the calm, authoritative presence of Karl Henry alongside him limited the damage. The former Wolves man, who QPR were trying to offload two months ago, is in superb form at the moment and was the only QPR midfielder who could hold a candle to Villa's Sanchez. Vargas started to cause problems down the right, cutting in field to join the two strikers in a dangerous three-man attack.

But, as happened against Liverpool , the tempo and standard was actually being set from left back, where Yun Suk-Young continues to be something of a revelation. Without the ball the South Korean international is strong and uncompromising in the tackle. He's intelligent with the positioning of his body, winning free kicks for his team even when he doesn't have possession. With the ball it took him 86 minutes to play a stray pass, and his distribution is both economical and imaginative — he has confidence in his own ability to play a pass with a purpose, rather than completing one for the sake of it or simply to shift the ball on one. His reading of the play when faced with overlapping attackers has been exemplary in the last two games and he's not troubled by tight spaces or risky situations.

He takes nice set pieces as well — a dangerous inswinging delivery caused panic on the half hour and bodes well for the future. Of course, against Liverpool , QPR were a liability with their own attacking dead ball situations, regularly conceding lethal counter attacks and shipping two goals as a result. Here, when Weimann broke into clear space downfield following a cleared corner, Suk-Young judged an uncompromising block tackle superbly and came away with the football. A new hero is born.

Later, a deflected cross from Weimann drew Green from his line for a brave claim at Benteke's feet when self-preservation had to be forgotten and the handling needed to be faultless.

For once, Rangers made it into the second half without having to replace injured players. Even Sandro lasted a full 90 minutes for the first time this season. It left Harry Redknapp free to make the changes he wanted to make, rather than the ones forced upon him, and he judged his first perfectly after an hour.

QPR had started the second half sitting deep in their own half, in full-on soak it up mode. Westwood got Benteke in round the back with a deep free kick that the Belgian nodded down and Ciaran Clark, up from the back, bundled wide from close range with the marking slack. It felt like it was going to be a long night. Typically, it was Suk-Young who responded, with an eye-catching piece of attacking play that drew a frustrated foul from Weimann and the first yellow card of the evening from referee Lee Mason.

Redknapp recognised the problem — QPR were never going to be able to do this for a whole half and not concede a goal — and acted swiftly. Junior Hoilett came on for Zamora . Suddenly, after dealing with a physical challenge all evening, Aston Villa were faced with pacy wide men in Vargas and the Canadian, running right at the heart of their defence either side of Austin. They didn't deal with the transition at all well and almost with his first kick, Hoilett was able to curl a fine strike around Guzan and off the top of the left hand post having been left in space 20 yards out.

The change also added an extra body to the midfield. Villa had dropped Sanchez deeper after half time, presumably to assist in the marking of Zamora when the ball went long, but he was complicit in laying on a second goal for the hosts 20 minutes from time. The Colombian, faced with a restocked home midfield, played a dreadful pass from a quick free kick straight to Karl Henry and when he freed Vargas down the right there always looked to be a chance in the offing. The Chilean, intelligently, backed his man off into the penalty box where he could no longer execute a tackle, then widened the angle with a drop of the shoulder for a perfect low cross that Charlie Austin read superbly and smashed in, first time, at the near post. Two nil now, Guzan no chance at all.

Austin, at times, has struggled in the Premier League in open play. He doesn't look quick enough, or physical enough. He hasn't carved a niche for himself. But where he has stepped up is the area most Championship strikers struggle in when they move to the higher level. Austin, and the other second tier hit men, are used to having far more time, and getting far more chances. Balls drop in the penalty area in the league below, defenders aren't as talented, pockets of space open up, goals can be presented rather than earned. In the Premier League, space and time are luxuries strikers are not afforded. Barren spells can result, and soon strikers are snatching at chances. Austin's last three goals — two here, one against Southampton — have shown a real appreciation for the lack of time available to get a shot away, an efficiency that is needed when chances are coming your way once every three weeks rather than three times a half, and above all else a genuine ability to beat defenders and keepers at the highest level. His first goal looks a good deal better on second viewing, but the intelligence of the run, the awareness of his location in the area, and the sharpness of the first-time finish make the second a really special goal for me. He took Vlaar and Guzan, two full internationals and very decent players, completely out of the game with a clever run and razor sharp finish.

Villa immediately introduced Darren Bent, carrying himself with all the commitment of a teenager in a further maths class, and Joe Cole, who looks like he's developed rather too much of a taste for a cooked breakfast since transferring from West Ham in the summer. If Villa didn't know it wasn't going to be their night before this point, Cole banging into Benteke and sending the ball skewing out for a goal kick just as the Belgian had finally freed himself of Dunne's shackles and attacked a good cross at the near post, sealed it. In the away end, one Villa fan was slapped around by his irate better half to the merriment of the watching QPR fans. "Where's your missus gone?" the home ranks sang after she'd stormed out. Villa's season, which started so well with impressive away wins at Stoke and Liverpool and ten points from five games, is in danger of going the same way as that marriage.

This was to be five straight defeats without a goal scored, and QPR knew they had their guests right where they wanted them. The R's even started to look confident in possession of the ball. Mauricio Isla, improving game by game, started a glorious passing move that moved through three separate sets of triangles, diagonally across the pitch from the QPR right back slot to the left wing via the thick end of 20 completed passes, until Vargas received the final ball, onside and clean through, but tragically couldn't beat Guzan for a deserved third. In the next attack, Hoilett streaked away down the left and drew another yellow card for Lowton.

Still, a nervous final ten minutes could have changed the complexion of the game completely. Two nil can be a funny scoreline and when Tom Cleverley drew his right foot back on the edge of the area ten minutes from time it seemed that QPR were in trouble. Green saw the ball late, so did well to pull off an unorthodox save at all, thought he could only direct the ball back into the traffic where Sandro saved his bacon with a last-ditch sliding tackle on Clark that sent the ball bobbling back to the stricken keeper rather than into the net. The competition between Green and McCarthy seems to be bringing the best from both.

In the end it was a procession. Redknapp ran the clock with substitutions — Armand Traore and Niko Kranjcar on for Vargas and Fer. The Chilean deserved his standing ovation. The massed ranks of Villa fans behind the goal — a totally sold out end at more than £40 a ticket for a televised Monday night game — started to drift away into the night. Such travelling support deserves a far better team than Randy Lerner and Paul Lambert are currently providing for them.

For QPR, with games against the two best sides in the country up next, and teams above them threatening to open up a gap, a win was vital. This lifted them above Burnley at the foot of the table and narrowed the gap to fellow strugglers Sunderland , Leicester and Palace. It also kept Villa moving in the Super Hoops' direction. But the plan is more important than all of that. QPR have one. At last. A clear framework to approach games with. Now they have a fighting chance.

Jeff Beck rarely sounded so sweet.

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QPR: Green 8; Isla 7, Caulker 7, Dunne 8, Suk-Young 8; Vargas 7 (Traore 87, -), Sandro 6, Henry 7, Fer 6 (Kranjcar 90, -); Austin 7, Zamora 7 (Hoilett 63, 7)
Subs not used: Ferdinand, Hill, Phillips, Murphy
Goals: Austin 16 (assisted Zamora ), 69 (assisted Vargas)

Villa: Guzan 6; Lowton 6, Vlaar 5, Clark 6, Cissokho 6; Cleverley 6, Westwood 7 (Cole 70, 5), Sanchez 8; Agbonlahor 6, Weimann 6 (Bent 70, 4), Benteke 6
Subs not used: Okore, Bacuna, Richardson, N'Zogbia, Given
Bookings: Weimann 57 (foul), Lowton 76 (foul)

QPR Star Man — Yun Suk-Young 8 Again. As said above, not since Gino Padula has a left full back come into the QPR team quite so out of the blue, and made quite this big an impact. It's his calmness and cuteness in possession, and reading of the game when he's facing an overloaded attack that's impressing me the most. He makes things happen with the ball, and he stops them without it.

Referee — Lee Mason (Bolton Wanderers) 8 Not a lot for our old chum Lee Mason to get too excited with here. Both bookings were correct decisions. I felt a couple of times he allowed himself to be conned by a bought free kick — Sanchez and Zamora both did it to him, falling over as soon as anticipated contact arrived for cheap free kicks when really they should have been told to get to their feet. Overall though, pretty decent.

Attendance 18,022 (1,800 Villa approx) For a televised Monday night fixture, with Villa in poor form and QPR bottom of the league, with the tickets overpriced, I thought it was remarkable to see Loftus Road this full. The Aston Villa supporters are a credit to themselves and their club — such unfailingly large numbers and loud noise, at every away game, despite the team being bloody awful for several years. But the QPR fans really did their bit here as well, making Loftus Road hum like it always used to at night matches. It added to the spectacle and was a pleasure to be a part of.

The Twitter @loftforwords

Pictures — Action Images

Photo: Action Images

PinnerPaul added 09:15 - Oct 29 Thanks Clive, Always a pleasure to red a winning match report. Agree YSY is a revelation, sitting in T block I saw what a good player he is in the first half.
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QPunkR added 09:42 - Oct 29 Great result, rather than performance - though we looked really good once we'd gone 2-0 up. Have to say I was embarrassed at some numpties near me singing 'we forgot that you were here' at the Villa fans after our goals. Those 2,000 outsang Loftus Rd for most of the night. Our fans only really started making noise after the second goal. Props to the Villa fans, especially with that crock of shit they're following round the country!

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Myke added 10:00 - Oct 29 Great report Clive and such a relief to get the win. Funnily enough I thought Yun didn't play nearly as well as he did against Liverpool. Although he improved significantly in the second half, I thought first half he was below par. On a few occasions he was caught out of position, he seemed to be playing quite narrow, although this may have been his instructions. Also his distribution first half was poor, it seemed rushed and on more than one occasion the ball went out of play. As I say though the most important thing was the win. Interesting what you say about having a plan. You could actually say we also have a plan B. Once Zamora tires around the hour mark, the introduction of a smaller, nippier player (Vargas/Hoilett), completely changes the dynamic of our attack and best of all, Austin has now proven he can thrive on either type of service. The next question is; will Harry revert to type and consider Chelsea a 'bonus game' or will he have a go?

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Marshy added 10:03 - Oct 29 Great to get the win after the huge disappointment of the Liverpool match. We put in the effort and showed the commitment, and that's what sometimes wins games even if the football isn't always pretty. Even Harry in these last two games has looked as if he has been remotely interested, with him spending more time off his seat and on the touchline than he did for the whole of last season. I would agree that Yun was outstanding, and the only surprise for me is that he hasn't been considered a regular starter before now. Carl Henry is fast becoming Mr Consistent. He goes about his business in a calm and collected way, and is fast becoming the backbone of our midfield. Surely it won't be too long before Charlie will get his chance with an England call up. He may not be the most skilful centre forward, but he is hard working, and boy does he know where the net is. Two clinical finishes. The last two performances certainly give us hope that we can fight our way out of the bottom three.

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izlingtonhoop added 10:17 - Oct 29 "pleasure to be a part of" Two enjoyable games on the bounce, QPR fans startng to make some happy noise again, pleasure indeed is starting to creep back in.
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simmo added 11:00 - Oct 29 Pleased you've acknowledged the Villa support, exceptional commitment for a late October midweek game that's on Sky. Especially as the tickets are extortionate... Respect! Nice to win, makes you realise how tense and bad a mood you're in usually after a meek surrender, it's so much easier to approach the working week and the next game when you're coming off the back of a good performance and result. More of the same please, rangers.

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isawqpratwcity added 11:28 - Oct 29 great report, clive. i am amazed how bz's indian summer continues... ...charlie's goals were just sooooo crisp... ...ysy looks much better than in the world cup. it gives ya hope.
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HastingsRanger added 14:09 - Oct 29 Critical to win this match. Villa did have their chances and less commitment would have cost us points. Dunne was excellent and surely must hold his place. The midfield is curious now - with Henry playing the best I've seen of him - and Barton/ Kranjar/ Phillips - even Taarabt as options. It looks a whole lot better! Please can they have a go in the Chelsea game, nobody is invincible, even in the Premiership.

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Kaos_Agent added 16:33 - Oct 29 Thanks Clive. What a relief to read such a positive review. I'm encouraged to think that these past 2 games must make it very difficult for HR to mess about with future selections. To think that Yun has been left on the bench for so long is annoying, but better to view the glass as half full now that he's clearly proven to be so effective. Kudos to Richard Dunne. With Rangers enjoying so little possession (something that surely must change, but full credit to Villa in that regard) he was the defensive war horse that we saw last year. And he set up the first goal with that long pass to Zamora. Now if we can only take this show on the road with what seems to be growing belief and commitment.

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onlyrinmoray added 16:52 - Oct 29 Great report as usual. I didn't know McCarthy was up for starting I thought Green had recovered from his injury/illness. I really think he needs to start, that save and follow up from Cleverly was brilliant he is the No 1 keeper for me and doesn't deserve to be dropped Agree about Loftus Road being full on a Monday night great effort from both the Rangers and Villa supporters Villa were my pre season definites for the drop and I was shocked by their start but now they look like bottom 3 material Lerner has done nothing financially for Villa a far bigger club than us All those moaning about Uncle Tony should remember that

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Spiritof67 added 18:20 - Oct 29 We were too open in midfield by playing Fer on the left in the 1st half allowing Sanchez so much time and space. Changing things around in midfield gave Sanchez something to think about and he was not as effective in the second half. Credit to Vargas with a great ball into the box; how Austin squeezed the ball between keeper and post. Outstanding finish. Cannot disagree with the marks for Yun Suk Young, a solid performance from him,

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pedrosqpr added 20:17 - Oct 29 I admit that I take the mickey a lot about Redknapps press conferences but last year he used to bang on about how good Zamora is etc . Last season when he was in awful shape supporters around me in the West paddock would make fun when he came on the field . How thats changed. Just want to mention our 2 chilean players coming in to there own now. Seem to communicate well on the right side in the 1st half . Muchas felicidades we haven't hired to mercenaries but 2 professional footballers doing there best for our team.

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AussieRs added 22:07 - Oct 29 Thanks Clive, fair report. Agree totally re YSY - very solid. But overall, can't help but suggest performance vs Liv much better. Passing much more crisp and accurate. We could barely string anything together in the first half. 2nd half was better. But strange to play well one week and lose and not so well the next and win. Football...... Zamora is so good at holding the ball up that the plan you outline seems reasonable. But it is limited. We need more than one trick. You can guess where this is heading - come back Adel, all is forgiven.

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AgedR added 07:49 - Oct 30 Clive, I've avoided the board for a while, due to the fact that it has become dominated by the Redknapp out brigade. While I think many of the arguments by some very eloquent posters are valid I have always been firmly agnostic about Redknapp. With the club in its current state and until it fundamentally changes, I think he is probably the best man for the job. It was pleasing to here from Richard Dunne regarding the input of Joe Jordan, which will perhaps sully those who say he and Bond do "nothing". Speaking to the mate of mine before the Villa game we both agreed that you are now the authority when it comes to QPR journalism. I imagine that makes you feel thoroughly uncomfortable. Nonetheless thanks for putting in words so many of our frustrations and in same part joy at this great club.

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derbyhoop added 08:01 - Oct 30 Badly needed and, despite the possession stats, deserved win. Many good performances and 2 proper strikers goals. But the possession stats offer a warning. I remember after a 3-2 win at the Brit, delighting I'm Stoke completing 79 passes in 90 minutes. If we areas careless in keeping the ball on Saturday we could be even worse. Still room for improvement.
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connell10 added 08:29 - Oct 30 great report, but yun is no revelation to me because ive always said he is a great player! he will be our little gem and why arry has taken so long to see this i dont know!
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probbo added 10:32 - Oct 30 Thanks Clive. No it definitely wasn't pretty in the main but a wins a win and as they said on Sky beforehand it was a game neither team could afford to lose. I thought Villa were very poor and clearly low on confidence. Two great finishes from Charlie and I also agree with Hastings above - Henry is doing a great job in midfield at the moment in a sort of Waddock/Barker role. The creativity needs to come from Fer, whose really needs to raise his game. The next two game are a different proposition altogether and I daresay Redknapp has already lined up some good excuses should either/both end in a Spurs/Man U style thrashing where only one team turns up to play. That said, we did take 4 points of Chelsea in 2012/13 (SWP's career moment in a QPR shirt) so you never know!

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dixiedean added 18:35 - Oct 30 yes, good to have a plan, even a 1-dimensional one which Baldrick might find simplistic, but a plan is a plan. Villa were a very timid opponent but let's not detract from our positives. HR seems to have adopted one of Ollie's less appealing traits, that of picking 11 players and then working out where to play them. He did with Fer what Ollie did with Gallen ( and England with Scholes) - shoe-horn them into the team @ left mid , where they are ineffective but can " do a job" . Fer can look lazy at the best of times, but out there he was all at sea. as Spirit of 67 said, it took us an hour to work out that Sanchez was running the game and we had to almost man-mark him, at which point his passing fell apart. Up til then it was the same thing as in many other games , eg Song at WHU, Wanyama at Saints, N'Zonzi v Stoke all bossing the midfield. Then just as the Adel saga post-Liverpool, we then get Rio's nonsense. Not that we'll miss him for 3 games, but it's more " tail wagging dog " as Clive said in his exceptional preview. Generally I'm very pro TF, but I equate him to a trendy English teacher who is very popular with the kids but who ultimately wind him around their little finger and do as they like. Anyone of my generation might think of Please Sir! - John Alderton's Mr Hedges. I do wish he'd instil some discipline in the place and stop being so liberal by treating footballers like adults, when as we know , most of them are not able to act accordingly. When they can do their day job properly then they can have their ' playtime' on Twitter. At least without Rio we won't have the idiotic handshake debate with #26 Captain , Legend, Racist. If only lightning could strike twice.

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TacticalR added 20:04 - Oct 31 There were so many good performances that it's seems wrong to choose a Man of the Match, but my two were Dunne and Yun. Once again a commanding performance from Dunne. Once again Yun cut everything out and got forward quickly - our left hand side was a complete no-fly zone for Villa. These are men you can have complete confidence in. Zamora. In all the man of the match talk Zamora has been somewhat overlooked. For that first goal it felt as if he had caught the ball with his hands and put it down on the spot for Austin, not to mention taking four players out of the game as they rushed towards him. Austin. His goals were right in the corner, which is a mark of a Premiership striker. Do I detect the influence of Les Ferdinand? Fer. I don't get why people are so anti-Fer. He's skillful on the ball and can tackle. The only weakness is his over-ambitious forward passing, and even there I think he is seeing the right pass, even if he's not able to execute it. Sandro. In a way he feels like the odd man out in a skillful team, and his passing is even more suspect than Fer's. However he is totally dedicated to defense and seems to get his foot at the right moment time and again. The first time any QPR manager has beaten a Paul Lambert side, so no small feat.

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