QPR’s poor defending punished in defeat at Southampton

QPR were humbled by Southampton, who punished some woeful defending at St Mary’s.

Goals from Kuryu Matsuki, Cameron Bragg and Keven Schlotterbeck put the Saints in command before Richard Kone pulled one back – the striker’s fourth goal in two matches.

Welington added a fourth for the hosts in the final moments.

After last weekend’s 5-0 hammering of high-flying Swansea, this was a comedown for Rangers, although they were competitive for most of the game, Kone’s was a fine strike, and Ilias Chair returned after injury, coming on as a late substitute.

However, Alfie Lloyd, also on as a substitute after his own recent injury, went off with what looked like a hamstring problem.

It meant that Rangers once again ended a match with 10 men because a player had gone off after they had made all of their permitted substitutions.

Southampton were worthy winners and went ahead in the 11th minute.

After Jonathan Varane had blocked Leo Scienza’s shot, the ball dropped to Matsuki near the edge of the six-yard box, and he turned away from Boy Kemper and fired into the far corner of the net.

As Rangers pushed for an equaliser, Kemper’s cross was headed over by Paul Smyth, Kwame Poku missed a big chance when he shot into the side netting, and an effort by Smyth was saved by keeper Daniel Peretz.

Southampton appeared to have doubled their lead in the final seconds of the first half, when Lewis Dobbin netted, but the goal was very belatedly ruled out for offside.

But a second Saints goal did arrive 10 minutes into the second half, when Bragg’s shot took a heavy deflection off R’s captain Jimmy Dunne.

The deflection wrong-footed keeper Pierce Charles and in that sense Rangers were unlucky.

But their defending in the build-up to the goal was terrible, particularly when Ronnie Edwards failed to clear his lines, meekly heading the ball out to the left, where Ryan Manning was able to tee up Bragg.

Former QPR man Manning then delivered a corner for an unchallenged Schlotterbeck to head in at the far post.

Kone, scorer of a hat-trick against Swansea, quickly reduced the deficit by thumping in a powerful shot off the post.

A Rangers comeback never seemed likely, though, and Welington stuck away another goal for Southampton, burying the loose ball after Dennis Cirkin had won a challenge.