Austin’s penalty means Rangers stay top

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Yeovil Town 0 QPR 1

Charlie Austin’s 74th-minute penalty gave QPR another hard-earned victory to keep them top of the Championship.

The striker slotted home from the spot after being bundled over in the area by Yeovil defender Daniel Seaborne.

It meant a fifth 1-0 win of the season for Rangers, whose clean sheet was their sixth consecutive shut-out.

Matt Phillips had wasted their best chance when he shot wide after being put through by Tom Carroll early on.

Austin fired into the side netting as the visitors continued to press, but Yeovil posed a definite threat, with long-range efforts from Joel Grant and then Liam Davis forcing saves from Rob Green.

Those were fairly routine stops but Green produced a fine save three minutes after the break, diving to his left to claw away Joe Ralls’ 20-yarder.

And Green did well again shortly after the hour mark, this time denying Andrew Williams after the forward had drifted in behind the Rangers defence.

With his team having to absorb significant pressure, R’s boss Harry Redknapp – who left out Joey Barton – responded by sending recent signing Niko Kranjcar on for his debut.

But it was Austin who turned the match in QPR’s favour, with his persistence near the edge of the penalty box bringing a foul from Seaborne.

QPR (4-4-1-1): Green; Simpson, Dunne, Hill, Assou-Ekotto; Phillips (Kranjcar 68), Carroll, Jenas, Traore (Wright-Phillips 60); O’Neil (Barton 76); Austin.
Subs not used: Ehmer, Henry, Faurlin, Murphy.

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