QPR beat Fulham in dramatic derby

Fulham 1 QPR 2

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Idrissa Sylla’s 87th-minute goal gave QPR a dramatic victory in the west London derby at Craven Cottage, where Sone Aluko missed a penalty in the final seconds of the match.

Alex Smithies saved Tom Cairney’s penalty and Conor Washington scored his first league goal for Rangers before Tim Ream equalised for Fulham.

But Sylla restored QPR’s lead with a diving header from Tjaronn Chery’s cross.

And Fulham again missed from the spot when Aluko blasted against the post deep into injury time.

It meant a first win in seven league games for Rangers, their first victory at the Cottage since 1980, and a timely boost for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink after the controversy surrounding the manager this week.

They went ahead when Pawel Wszolek did well on the right and picked out Washington, whose deflected shot evaded keeper David Button.

The 20th-minute opener came after keeper Smithies had kept out Cairney’s early spot-kick after Steven Caulker had impeded Fulham defender Ragnar Sigurdsson as they geared up for Lucas Piazon’s corner.

Fulham would have been level by half-time but for a terrible miss by Chris Martin.

Piazon burst through on goal, drew Smithies and teed up the on-loan target man, who contrived to shoot wide of an unguarded goal.

Fulham did score three minutes into the second half courtesy of Ream’s first goal since rejecting a move to QPR in order to join the Whites in August 2015.

Scott Parker’s chip to the far post troubled Smithies and after the Rangers keeper awkwardly palmed the ball out from underneath his bar, American defender Ream was able to steer it over the line.

Rangers then had to ride their luck as Fulham pushed for a second goal.

Moments after coming on as a substitute, Matt Smith headed the ball down for Parker, whose shot was cleared off the line by Caulker.

Aluko and Neeskens Kebano then both squandered glorious chances to put Fulham ahead.

Aluko shot woefully wide after finding himself through on goal, and substitute Kebano headed wide after being found unmarked by Ryan Tunnicliffe’s left-wing cross.

Suddenly behind after Sylla popped up for his second goal since joining QPR, Fulham almost equalised when Jozabed’s free-kick struck the bar.

And after Nedum Onuoha was penalised for a high challenge on Jozabed in the dying seconds, Aluko was unable to rescue a point for Fulham.