QPR beaten by stunning Cardiff comeback

By

QPR 1 Cardiff 2

Cardiff scored twice in the space of four minutes to beat QPR and deal another blow to their promotion hopes. 

Rangers, now with just one win in seven Championship matches – a run which has included four defeats – went ahead through Andre Gray’s first-half opener.

But goals from City youngsters Issak Davies and Rubin Colwill, both 19, turned the match on its head.


Davies, on as a substitute, equalised with 20 minutes remaining with the help of an error by former Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall.

Davies brushed defender Rob Dickie aside, cut in from the left and fired in a shot which Marshall got both hands to but the ball looped over the Scotland international and over the line before he was able to claw it away.

And the bustling Davies causing Dickie more problems led to the visitors going ahead in stunning fashion.

Davies again whizzed past Dickie, who shoved him to the ground near the edge of the penalty area, and Colwill brilliantly smashed the resulting free-kick into the top corner of the net.

A mistake by Perry Ng had led to QPR going ahead on 38 minutes.

Moses Odubajo’s right-wing cross was headed by Ng straight to Gray, who gratefully blasted home from eight yards out.

Gray had earlier been denied by former Rangers keeper Alex Smithies, who produced a fine near-post save to push away the striker’s header from Ilias Chair’s cross.

The hosts continued to threaten after going ahead, with Smithies keeping out Lee Wallace’s strike shortly before Chris Willock’s deflected shot flashed wide of the post.

Jordan Hugill, who was previously on loan at QPR, had chances for Cardiff either side of half-time but fired the first straight at Marshall and wasted the second by blasting over after a Bluebirds counter-attack.

A Rangers counter-attack led to a great chance for Gray midway through the second half but he steered a first-time effort wide of the target after being found by Willock’s perfectly-weighted ball from the right.

Had that chance been taken, the game might well have been beyond Cardiff, but they emphatically made the most of the reprieve.

QPR: Marshall, Dickie, Dunne, Barbet, Odubajo, Field (Dozzell 85), Hendrick, Wallace (Adomah 81); Chair, Willock (Amos 81), Gray.
Subs not used: Mahoney, Kakay, Ball, McCallum.