QPR finish ninth after beating Luton
QPR ended a promising campaign with another win.
Stefan Johansen and Albert Adomah scored after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s equaliser had cancelled out Charlie Austin’s opener.
It meant Rangers finished ninth in the Championship table.
Lyndon Dykes picking up a knee injury seemed like worrying news for Scotland manager Steve Clarke ahead of the European Championships.
Dykes, who scored six times in the final eight matches of the season, was hurt by a crude challenge by Glen Rea just before the interval and limped through the final seconds of the first half but did not appear for the second.
But Rangers manager Mark Warburton later suggested that the problem was not serious.
Austin put QPR ahead after 20 minutes following a burst forward from the back by central defender Jordy de Wijs – his eighth goal since joining on loan from West Brom in January for a second spell at Loftus Road.
Dewsbury-Hall attempted to cut out Johansen’s ball in from the left but succeeded only in heading it towards Dykes, who nodded it down for Austin to finish from near the edge of the six-yard box.
Luton responded strongly to going behind and George Moncur, Harry Cornick and Dewsbury-Hall saw shots deflected wide before Rangers goalkeeper Seny Dieng produced a stunning save.
Sonny Bradley nudged Dewsbury-Hall’s left-wing free-kick towards goal but Dieng showed superb reflexes to push the ball on to the post.
But Dieng could not prevent Luton drawing level two minutes before half-time.
He parried Moncur’s shot but was unable to keep out Dewsbury-Hall’s right-footed follow-up despite getting a hand to the ball.
However, Johansen restored the lead with his fourth goal since arriving on loan from Fulham.
Ilias Chair collected Yoann Barbet’s pass and calmly set up Johansen, who slotted past keeper Simon Sluga.
The visitors rarely looked like finding another equaliser, although Luke Berry had a left-footed effort saved by Dieng and Hatters left-back Kai Naismith shot inches over.
And substitute Adomah sealed the win by tapping into an empty net in stoppage time after being teed up by Chris Willock.
QPR: Dieng; Dickie, De Wijs, Barbet; Kakay (Adomah 76), Johansen (Cameron 85), Chair (Thomas 76), Willock, Wallace; Dykes (Field 45), Austin (Bonne 66).
Subs not used: Walsh, Carroll, Hamalainen, Bettache.
09/05/2021 @ 9:31 am
Chicken & Egg come to mind here. If there was a ‘next time’ we would have learned from our mistakes and be no longer prepared to throw money at over the hill, greedy players.
09/05/2021 @ 12:51 am
The issue of the stadium is money, we need to go up get the money from sky. come down, and build it, we cant compete at a higher level at the moment, the massive investment needed, is also what is Loftus road worth, location of the ground is another fading issue
08/05/2021 @ 5:53 pm
No point getting promoted next season until we get a bigger stadium,we have been down this road before.I can’t understand why the stadium issue has not been resolved by now,its gone on to long.