Shambolic Rangers are beaten at Palace

By

Crystal Palace 3 QPR 1

QPR’s relegation fears worsened with a defeat at Selhurst Park, where they were torn to shreds in the first half.

They were 3-0 down at the interval after goals from Wilfried Zaha, James McArthur and Joel Ward put Crystal Palace in complete control.

Matt Phillips pulled a goal back with a fabulous 35-yard strike but there was no way back for Rangers, who have lost five of their six matches under head coach Chris Ramsey.

The visitors, with Adel Taarabt in the starting line-up and Shaun Wright-Phillips making his first start since September 2013, were on the back foot from the opening whistle.

Teenage full-back Darnell Furlong was no match for Yannick Bolasie, who set up the first two goals.

Bolasie sent in a low cross for Zaha, who got in front of Yun Suk-Young to nudge the ball in from close range.

The second goal was very similar, with Bolasie gliding past Furlong and sending the ball in for McArthur to score.

Rangers also had problems on the other flank and it was from there that Zaha created the Eagles’ third, teeing up Ward to fire home – his first Palace goal.

Ramsey made a change at half-time, taking off the beleaguered Furlong and moving Nedum Onuoha to right-back, with Clint Hill coming on at centre-back.

But by then the damage was done and Palace were largely comfortable in the second half bar a spell of QPR pressure after Phillips’ 82nd-minute cracker.

Phillips saw another superb long-range effort pushed away by keeper Julian Speroni six minutes later.

QPR (4-4-1-1) Green; Furlong (Hill 45), Onuoha, Caulker, Yun , Wright-Phillips (Vargas 85), Henry, Sandro (Kranjcar 85), Phillips; Taarabt; Austin.
Subs not used: McCarthy, Zamora, Hoilett, Grego-Cox.

Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook