QPR’s woes continue with defeat at Rovers

By

Blackburn 2 QPR 0

Stuttering QPR suffered their sixth defeat in eight away games.

Rudy Gestede drilled Blackburn in front on eight minutes with a low drive from 20 yards out which beat the dive of Rob Green.

The QPR keeper then dropped a clanger early in the second half as he allowed a shot from left-back Tommy Spurr to squirm under his body and into the net.

Will Keane hit the post for QPR, who were largely second best, and Blackburn substitute Luke Varney spurned a great chance to rub salt into their wounds.

Given their nine-point cushion to the chasing pack, QPR will still be confident of holding on to their play-off place, but this latest away day horror show against a top-half side will concern boss Harry Redknapp.

The influential Gestede tormented a Rangers defence that included Luke Young, who made his first competitive appearance for two years.

Gestede found himself space just outside the penalty and clipped a low shot beyond Green and into the bottom corner.

Blackburn, unbeaten in six matches, came close to scoring a second when Gestede’s flick-on dropped for Jordan Rhodes but he was denied by Green.

Ravel Morrison was QPR’s brightest spark in the first half and he forced former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson into a smart stop with a first-time volley.

Aside from that effort, Blackburn restricted Rangers to shots from distance, with Morrison, Yossi Benayoun and Benoit Assou-Ekotto all blazing over.

Any words of encouragement issued by Redknapp at half-time were rendered meaningless as QPR fell 2-0 down minutes after the restart.

Spurr galloped forward from full-back and got into the penalty area before firing in a shot which somehow found its way through Green and into the net.

The Rangers keeper did, however, make amends a few minutes later with a fine save to keep out Conway’s curling effort.

Having offered very little going forward, Rangers suddenly cut open the Blackburn defence midway through the second half, Junior Hoilett feeding Keane, whose shot came back off the foot of the post.

Gestede came close with a header from a corner and when he came off with 13 minutes to play, his replacement Varney should have done better than to drag a shot wide.

QPR (4-4-1-1): Green; Simpson, Dunne, Young, Assou-Ekotto (Yun 77); Hoilett, Henry, Benayoun, Carroll (Maiga 68); Morrison; Keane (Austin 68).
Subs not used: Murphy, Donaldson, O’Neil, Zamora.

Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook