QPR well beaten by Blades as season peters out
QPR 0
Sheff Utd 2O’Hare (13′)
Campbell (33′)
QPR slumped to a third defeat in four home matches as their season continues to peter out.
First-half goals from Callum O’Hare and Tyrese Campbell secured a deserved win for Sheffield United.
Rangers, thrashed 5-0 at Southampton in midweek, were again punished for some woeful defending.
O’Hare opened the scoring on 13 minutes.
Tahith Chong exchanged passes with Sydie Peck, and the Curacaoan’s cross from the right deflected off sliding Rangers defender Jake Clarke-Salter towards the unchallenged O’Hare, who netted at the far post.
Jonathan Varane went close to equalising when he fired over, but shortly afterwards he gave the ball away, resulting in the Blades doubling their lead on 33 minutes.
Campbell took full advantage of Varane’s error, thumping a superb long-range strike past keeper Joe Walsh – the forward’s first goal since November.
With his team having been totally outplayed in a one-sided first half, QPR head coach Julien Stephan made a double substitution at half-time, sending on attackers Paul Smyth and Rayan Kolli and switching from a 4-4-2 to 3-4-3 formation.
Smyth had a chance to pull a goal back when he latched onto Kieran Morgan’s pass and nudged the ball past keeper Adam Davies but shot wide of the near post from an awkward angle.
Rangers thought they had scored when Richard Kone headed in Harvey Vale’s corner, but the goal was disallowed, seemingly because Smyth was standing in front of Davies in an offside position.
Kone was unable to get to Vale’s teasing cross, and Isaac Hayden then headed wide, as the home side tried in vain to find a goal.
QPR: Walsh; Dunne, Edwards, Clarke-Salter (Mbengue 69), Esquerdinha (Smyth 46); Vale, Varane (Hayden 60), Morgan, Saito (Adamson 85); Bennie (Kolli 46), Kone.
Subs not used: Hamer, Cook, Pearman, Smith.
