Late goals give QPR victory over Forest

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QPR 5 Nottingham Forest 2

QPR scored three late goals – two of them in injury time – to clinch a deserved victory and virtually guarantee a play-off place.

Nottingham Forest equalised twice – both times Rangers failing to deal with right-wing corners – after first Yossi Benayoun and then Junior Hoilett had put the hosts ahead.

Nedum Onuoha restored Rangers’ lead with six minutes to play, blasting home from nine yards out, and Ravel Morrison scored after being teed up by Bobby Zamora, who netted the fifth after Morrison returned the favour.

The result was a boost for Harry Redknapp’s side following back-to-back defeats and they were also lifted by top scorer Charlie Austin’s return to the starting line-up following his recent shoulder injury.

They made the perfect start when Benayoun headed in the rebound after Tom Carroll’s shot had been parried by keeper Karl Darlow with barely a minute played.

Rob Green made a fine save to temporarily preserve the lead, diving to his left to tip over a ferocious strike from Henri Lansbury.

And Hoilett and Austin sent efforts wide before Forest equalised on 36 minutes courtesy of Jamaal Lascelles’ header from Lansbury’s corner.

Rangers hit back two minutes before the interval when Hoilett finished from the edge of the six-yard box after exchanging passes with Carroll.

A set-piece led to Forest levelling again, but not before Danny Simpson headed Greg Halford’s header from Ben Osborn’s corner off the line.

From Osborn’s next corner, on 73 minutes, Matt Derbyshire headed past a hopelessly exposed Green.

The goal came moments before Austin was replaced by Zamora, and the substitute missed a chance to put Rangers back in front eight minutes from time when he hit the post from close range after Morrison’s chip had been tipped away by Darlow.

Forest looked set for at least a point but Onuoha had other ideas, retrieving the ball at the back post and then firing into the corner of the net after collecting Carroll’s pass.

Morrison finished nicely after being found by Zamora, who made no mistake after being sent through by the on-loan West Ham man in the final seconds.

QPR (4-4-1-1): Green; Simpson, Onuoha, Dunne, Assou-Ekotto; Benayoun, Jenas (Henry 16), Carroll, Hoilett (Kranjcar 76); Morrison; Austin (Zamora 73).
Subs not used: Murphy, Keane, Yun, Hughes.

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