Diabolical QPR are hammered at West Brom

West Brom 7 QPR 1


QPR gifted goals away in a hammering at The Hawthorns and have now lost all their first three league games under Steve McClaren.

Joel Lynch hauled them level shortly after Matt Phillips had scored the first of two goals against his former club.

But Rangers fell apart in the second half.

Kieran Gibbs restored West Brom’s lead, Jay Rodriguez scored with a penalty, Dwight Gayle made it four and Rodriguez netted again from the spot before Phillips got the sixth and Hal Robson-Kanu the seventh.

Phillips opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark after defender Toni Leistner had given the ball away.

Keeper Matt Ingram produced a superb save to deny Gayle at point-blank range but the ball then fell to Phillips, whose shot went through Jake Bidwell’s legs and under Ingram.

Rangers hit back three minutes later. Matt Smith rose to head Luke Freeman’s free-kick and Lynch was on hand to wallop home.

But QPR’s shortcomings while trying to play the possession-based football boss McClaren wants were woefully exposed after the interval.

They found themselves behind again when former Arsenal man Gibbs fired home from the rebound after Harvey Barnes’ shot had hit the post.

Another defensive lapse, this time after Lynch had given the ball away, led to Josh Scowen bringing down Gayle and Rodriguez tucking away the resulting penalty to make it 3-1.

Another mix-up, this time when Leistner and Osman Kakay got in each other’s way, enabled Gibbs to square the ball for Gayle to score with ease.

And the fifth Albion goal came after another Rangers mess.

After Leistner hesitated, Ingram brought down Rodriguez, giving the striker another chance to score from the spot, which he gratefully accepted.

Phillips made it six after being set up Robson-Kanu, whose cool finish in injury time made it seven.

QPR: Ingram; Kakay, Leistner, Lynch (Baptiste 77), Bidwell; Scowen, Cousins, Luongo; Eze (Washington 58), Freeman; Smith (Wszolek 81).
Subs not used: Lumley, Chair, Smyth, Sylla.