QPR’s resurgence ended by loss to Boro
Second-half goals from Emmanuel Latte Lath and Marcus Forss gave Middlesbrough victory at Loftus Road and ended QPR’s recent resurgence.
Latte Lath broke the deadlock on 64 minutes. Rangers were unable to clear a free-kick and Matt Clarke nudged the ball towards the Ivorian striker, who sent a right-footed volley past keeper Asmir Begovic and into the corner of the net.
And Forss doubled the lead 12 minutes later following a counter-attack after Rangers’ Chris Willock appeared to have been fouled near the edge of the Boro penalty area.
Jonny Howson played the ball to the right to Luke Ayling, who crossed for Forss to head home at the far post.
The defeat, and Stoke’s 2-1 win at Preston, means QPR, who were unbeaten in their previous four matches, will return to the relegation zone if fellow strugglers Huddersfield win at home to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
They were on the front foot for most of the first half and went close to scoring an early goal when Steve Cook’s header from Lucas Andersen’s right-wing corner struck Howson and went over.
The in-form Sam Field headed over from another Andersen corner and Ilias Chair fired wide as the hosts continued the threaten.
Keeper Seny Dieng, playing against his former club, then pushed away a strike from Willock after some neat build-up play by Rangers.
Dieng was also able to keep out an audacious attempt by Chair to catch him off his line.
At the other end, Riley McGree blasted a shot wide of the target, but Boro offered very little before the interval.
They were better after the restart – prompting QPR boss Marti Cifuentes to make a triple substitution 10 minutes into the second half, sending on forwards Lyndon Dykes and Paul Smyth along with on-loan Newcastle midfielder Issac Hayden.
Playmaker Chair was one of those to make way and the home side struggled to create clear-cut chances after his withdrawal.
The changes initially had some effect, with Rangers showing more urgency and Dieng surviving another attempt to embarrass him – this time when Jimmy Dunne’s lob from the right-hand side landed on the top of the net.
But it was Michael Carrick’s Boro who seized the initiative and Rangers, who had started so brightly, faded badly and never looked like recovering after going behind.
QPR: Begovic; Dunne, Cook, Clarke-Salter, Paal (Larkeche 78); Field (Hayden 55), Colback; Willock, Andersen (Armstrong 78), Chair (Smyth 55); Frey (Dykes 55).
Subs not used: Walsh, Cannon, Fox, Hodge.
