QPR’s unbeaten run ended by Millwall
QPR 1
Burrell (85′)
Millwall 2Azeez (36′)
Ivanovic (45’+4)
QPR’s unbeaten run was ended by Millwall at Loftus Road.
Femi Azeez put the Lions ahead on 36 minutes and Rangers, who had not lost in six matches, faced an uphill task once Mihailo Ivanovic doubled Millwall’s lead in first-half stoppage time.
Rumarn Burrell scored an 85th-minute goal for the hosts but they were unable to find an equaliser.
Azeez netted during a lively first half in which Massimo Luongo was carried off on a stretcher after 14 minutes against his former club.
Luongo, who spent four years with the R’s, fell awkwardly during a challenge and suffered what appeared to be a serious knee injury.
The Australian had set up an early chance, dispossessing Jonathan Varane and playing the ball to Will Smallbone, whose first-time strike was brilliantly tipped over by keeper Paul Nardi.
Max Crocombe, making his league debut for Millwall in the absence of the injured Steven Bender, was the busier keeper prior to the opening goal, though.
He was called into action in the opening few seconds, diving to keep out Paul Smyth’s low shot after the Northern Ireland international had been teed up by Michael Frey’s lay-off.
New Zealander Crocombe, signed from Burton during the summer, also confidently claimed a number of balls into his area as Rangers put their opponents under early pressure.
Smyth had another opportunity, this time after being teed up by Richard Kone, but his left-footed shot struck the top of the crossbar.
Millwall hit back strongly after that let-off and went in front after Billy Mitchell carved QPR’s defence open with a ball over the top.
After struggling to get it under control, Azeez saw his first effort blocked by Nardi but scored at the second attempt.
There was an element of luck involved in both Millwall’s goals.
For the first, the grounded Nardi’s attempt to keep out Azeez’s follow-up inadvertently led to the Frenchman nudging the ball through the legs of Steve Cook as the Rangers defender tried to clear off the line.
And for the second, Varane’s attempt to head away Azeez’s right-wing cross skimmed off his head, somewhat wrong-footing his defenders and helping the ball towards Ivanovic, who headed in from six yards out.
Rangers head coach Julien Stephan made changes in the second half, sending on attackers Burrell, Karamoko Dembele and Koki Saito.
They combined for the home side’s late goal, with Dembele picking up space and playing the ball left towards Saito, who squared it to Burrell to give the Jamaica forward a simple tap-in.
But Burrell was unable to take a golden chance to level when he headed over from close range.
QPR: Nardi, Dunne, Morrison (Mbengue 54), Cook, Norrington-Davies, Vale (Dembele 54), Varane (Morgan 72), Madsen, Smyth (Saito 61), Kone, Frey (Burrell 61).
Subs not used: Hamer, Kolli, Field, Hayden.
