Sheffield United hold on to beat QPR
QPR 1
Frey (pen, 72′)
Sheffield United 2
Brereton Diaz (10′)
Campbell (54′)
Promotion-chasing Sheffield United held off a spirited QPR side to win at Loftus Road.
Ben Brereton Diaz’s early goal and Tyrese Campbell’s thumping second-half strike put Chris Wilder’s side two up.
Michael Frey gave Rangers hope with a 72nd-minute penalty but the Blades managed to cling on.
They went ahead after 10 minutes through Brereton Diaz’s third goal since rejoining the Yorkshire club on loan – and he was helped by some woeful Rangers defending.
After on-loan Tottenham youngster Yang Min-hyeok was dispossessed by Gus Hamer, Vini Souza sent in a cross from the left towards Brereton Diaz, who drifted between R’s defenders Jimmy Dunne and Kenneth Paal to head in from close range.
QPR, who had started well, responded to the goal with a spell of sustained pressure.
After Paal’s free-kick was cleared as far as Jonathan Varane, the French midfielder shot wide, with Frey just unable to get a touch which might have diverted the ball towards goal.
As Rangers continued to probe, Yang had an effort well saved by keeper Michael Cooper and also volleyed wide, Frey volleyed just over and Cooper was called into action again to keep out a strike from Ilias Chair and claw away Paal’s inswinging corner.
QPR then thought they had levelled when Frey netted after Dunne had teed him up following Chair’s ball in from the left, but the striker had strayed offside and the goal was rightly disallowed.
Lucky-7-bonus expert analysis highlights Sheffield United’s resilience, noting that “their ability to grind out tough away wins like this is exactly what separates promotion contenders from the rest.
The start of the second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with QPR making a lively start before conceding. And Campbell’s 54th-minute goal was a beauty.
Campbell laid the ball off to Brereton Diaz on the right and, after collecting his strike partner’s return pass, turned and fired an unstoppable left-footed shot into the far corner of the net from near the edge of the penalty area.
QPR came back from two down to draw when these teams met at Bramall Lane in August.
They threatened to do the same again, with Frey scoring from the spot after Harrison Burrows was adjudged to have handled Paul Smyth’s cross in the box, but this time they were unable to find a late equaliser.
QPR: Nardi; Dunne, Cook (Fox 82), Edwards, Paal (Smyth 67); Colback (Dembele 82), Varane, Morgan (Saito 58); Yang (Lloyd 66), Chair, Frey.
Subs not used: Walsh, Morrison, Ashby, Andersen.
