Dismal QPR beaten at home by struggling Peterborough
QPR’s slump continued with a dismal defeat at home to struggling Peterborough.
Jonson Clarke-Harris scored two of the visitors’ goals – one of them from the penalty spot – and Jack Marriott’s stunning strike sealed Posh’s first win since Grant McCann’s recent appointment as manager, taking them off the bottom of the Championship.
Luke Amos gave Rangers the lead after just nine minutes.
Amos robbed Jack Taylor, exchanged passes with Andre Gray and then fired a low shot beyond keeper David Cornell and into the corner of the net from 25 yards.
Rangers seemed to be in control and went close to scoring again when Ilias Chair drove an effort narrowly wide before Albert Adomah’s cross was headed against the post by Gray.
The game might have panned out very differently had that gone in, but from there it all went wrong for Mark Warburton’s side.
Peterborough equalised six minutes before half-time when Dion Sanderson allowed Marriott to turn away from him and shoot from the right-hand side of the penalty area.
Kieren Westwood parried the shot but Clarke-Harris was first to loose ball and blasted past Sam Field on the line.
And two goals in the space of as many minutes early in the second half left the home fans stunned.
Clarke-Harris slotted in a 53rd-minute spot-kick after Jimmy Dunne had tripped Joe Ward, before another error by on-loan Wolves defender Sanderson led to Marriott doubling Posh’s lead in emphatic fashion.
Marriott squirmed away from Sanderson and sent an unstoppable shot beyond Westwood and into the far corner via the inside of the post.
Stuttering Rangers, who have lost four of their past five matches and six of the past 10, never looked like launching a comeback and have major problems.
Westwood, who had been without a club since leaving Sheffield Wednesday last summer, was making his debut after being signed this week because four Rangers keepers – Seny Dieng, David Marshall, Jordan Archer and Joe Walsh – are all out injured.
With striker Lyndon Dykes also sidelined, Rangers have been struggling and both ends of the pitch and this defeat saw them drop to eighth in the table.
Peterborough’s win moves them above Derby and was their third against QPR this season, having beaten them at home in both the league and FA Cup.
QPR: Westwood; Dunne, Dickie, Sanderson; Adomah, Field, Dozzell (Hendrick 57), Amos (Austin 57), McCallum; Chair; Gray (Thomas 58).
Subs not used: Mahoney, Odubajo, Barbet, Ball.
23/03/2022 @ 3:18 pm
Blimey – have I missed something JW?
What Laurie means is for us to keep the few decent players we have, offload the rest and buy better – something we tried to do in the past with MH but caught a cold. But there is no other way short term. We are a mid table side at best,
21/03/2022 @ 12:26 pm
Jeff hendrick would sink the titanic,Nuff said.
20/03/2022 @ 5:13 pm
Got to disagree Laurie. Team is basically sound and manager is gold. Yes, needs further development, but ripping things up and starting again at every setback has been our failure over many past seasons.
Or was that comment just a provocation?
20/03/2022 @ 5:08 pm
I remember someone talking about taking us to a new level last year – is THIS it?
The current situation is something Ollie could achieve with one eys and one hand tied behind his back..
20/03/2022 @ 4:19 pm
Warburtons time surely nearing an end. Looks like he’s lost the changing room. No wonder after hopeless recruits, Sanderson and Hendrick taking starting places over players that worked hard to keep us in top six.
20/03/2022 @ 4:07 pm
I agree with Laurie, a max 15 points achievable (we wont beat Fulham and probably wont beat Huddersfield) which would leave us with 72 points max. If we get to 6th or 7th we would be very lucky, then we would need to win regularly in the playoffs (something unheard of this season). I dont think the players want to get promoted, they realise most are just not good enough and are too lazy to even search for another club – just realised, they dont even have to do that, their managers do it these days. Roll on next season with a half decent squad.
20/03/2022 @ 3:19 pm
A full rebuilding program again for the hoops is needed, including new Manager.
Lost our way this year, time to re-build. Sell what we can and rebuild .