Improved QPR crush Brentford in derby

QPR 3 Brentford 0

Goals from Junior Hoilett, Sebastian Polter and Tjaronn Chery gave QPR a resounding victory in the west London derby at Loftus Road.

The in-form Hoilett struck seven minutes before half-time when he darted in from the left and curled a right-footed shot beyond David Button and into the top corner of the net.

Polter doubled Rangers’ lead with a cool finish on 66 minutes after being found by Chery’s defence-splitting pass.

When Chery was similarly set up by Alejandro Faurlin five minutes later, he netted his fourth goal in his last six matches.

Having lost at Brentford and been beaten heavily at home and away by Fulham in local derbies this season, the win was a major boost for Rangers, who are nine points from the play-off places and still have an outside chance of a top-six finish.

The R’s have won three consecutive home matches, while struggling Brentford, who faded after a decent start, have lost six of their last seven games.

Button was busier of the two keepers before Hoilett eventually broke the deadlock.

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— Nick Reinis (@nickreinis) March 12, 2016

He gathered Faurlin’s early free-kick, saved from Chery after the Dutchman had cleverly turned away from Harlee Dean, and kept out Hoilett’s low shot from the edge of the penalty area.

At the other end, Sergi Canos twice fired wide; first after Rangers defender Gabriele Angella had given the ball away, and then when the on-loan Liverpool youngster hit the side netting with a powerful drive.

And a couple of minutes after Hoilett’s goal, Ryan Woods went close to equalising when he thumped a shot against the post from 25 yards.

Early in the second half, Alan Judge curled an effort wide from the right-hand edge of the box as Brentford went in search of an equaliser.

They played with plenty of energy and bite in midfield, helped by Woods’ excellent display and the feisty Alan McCormack’s return after a calf injury for his first start since November.

But with Marco Djuricin having been dropped from the starting line-up and Judge playing up front in the absence of a recognised striker, they lacked an end product.

And two minutes after Bees boss Dean Smith brought on a striker in Lasse Vibe, the visitors conceded the all-important second goal – Polter’s sixth of the season and his first in nine matches.

The German was helped by Brentford’s poor defending, as was Chery when he sealed the win for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s side with an emphatic finish.

QPR keeper Alex Smithies denied Smith’s team a consolation goal when he tipped over a late shot from Konstantin Kerschbaumer.