Ian Holloway hailed his players after QPR’s 2-1 victory over Wigan at Loftus Road.
Conor Washington netted second-half winner – his fourth goal in six matches – to take Rangers 10 points clear of the relegation zone.
It was their second win in as many matches and their gritty performance further convinced R’s boss Holloway that they have turned the corner after a troubled season.
He declared: “Tonight we got beat up and smashed to bits but we were in for a fight. Happy days. We’re not poncey QPR, we’re up for it no matter what.”
Washington set up an early opener for strike partner Matt Smith and then restored Rangers’ lead after Omar Bogle had equalised with a penalty.
“We got an ugly win but the character has come and you can see that the lads are growing,” Holloway said.
“The work-rate is there. They’re all wearing the shirt with so much pride.
“Even if we had drawn that game I still would have been happy with their effort. I can’t ask for any more from any one of them.
“We’re getting that feeling that we can win games, and that’s absolutely vital.
“We need a feeling that we can be good at this level and are moving forward. That’s what looks like it’s coming.”
This post was last modified on 21/02/2017