Warburton: QPR rode their luck but deserved win

QPR boss Mark Warburton praised his team but admitted they rode their luck towards the end of their 2-1 victory at home to Derby.

Substitute Ilias Chair capitalised after a misplaced pass by Wayne Rooney to score a 75th-minute winner at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

Martyn Waghorn had equalised for the visitors after Grant Hall’s strike had put Rangers ahead against the run of play.

The hosts survived late Derby pressure, with keeper Liam Kelly producing a fine save to deny Waghorn, who then missed a chance to equalise.

Warburton said: “We’ve had games this season where we haven’t got the rewards – and tonight I thought we rode our luck a bit in the final five or 10 minutes.

“We deserved that bit of luck – and we did ride our luck – and that’s a vital three points for us.

“We dropped too deep and also conceded a soft goal. It meant that after being dominant we ended up going in 1-1 at half-time.

“But all credit to the players. Their heads weren’t down and they responded. We stepped up the tempo and I felt we deserved to win.

“Derby are a very good team with a lot of quality and they are going to cause you problems.

“But we felt that our attacking prowess could hurt them as well and that proved to be the case.”

Ebere Eze set up the winner by intercepting Rooney’s attempted cross-field ball and then finding Chair, who finished coolly.

“It was a great finish by Ilias. We wanted him to come on and add energy. Ilias came on, got on the ball and was brave,” Warburton said.

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