QPR up to sixth after crushing Hull

By

QPR 3 Hull 1

QPR enjoyed a great win at Loftus Road (Picture: Ian Randall | MI News)

QPR moved up to sixth in the Championship table with another impressive win.

Ilias Chair, Ethan Laird and the fit-again Chris Willock scored for Mick Beale’s side, who followed up Saturday’s win at Watford with another fine victory.

Tyler Smith netted a consolation for the Tigers with five minutes remaining.


Hull made a decent start to the season and were third coming into this game.

But they lost 5-2 in their previous away match, at West Brom, and were three down by half-time against ruthless Rangers.

Chair set the ball rolling with a fine strike after 10 minutes – his third goal of the season.

After Stefan Johansen dispossessed Alfie Jones in midfield, Chair galloped towards the edge of the penalty area, cut in on his right foot and sent a fabulous effort into the far corner of the net.

On-loan Manchester United right-back Ethan Laird doubled the lead five minutes later with the first senior goal of his career.

Willock played the ball with the outside of his right boot to Kenneth Paal, who crossed from the left for his fellow full-back to apply the finish from close range.

And QPR added a third goal five minutes before half-time – again after skipper Johansen had won the ball.

This time Willock capitalised, rifling a low right-footed shot from the edge of the box past former R’s keeper Matt Ingram and into the bottom corner.

The outstanding Willock has now scored in all four of his appearances this season.

The talismanic forward has been eased back in recent weeks, having suffered a hamstring tear in March. He was badly missed when unavailable and Rangers look a different team with him back.

They were by far the better side against City but had a scare just before half-time when Sam Field’s poor back-pass fell to Oscar Estupinan, who has scored seven goals already this season but was unable to find a way past Rangers keeper Seny Dieng.

Lyndon Dykes should have added a fourth for the hosts early in the second half but contrived to miss an open goal, poking the ball wide of the target after being teed up by Chair.

Smith, on the other hand, fired past Dieng after beating the offside trap to collect Regan Slater’s ball over the top.

QPR (4-3-2-1): Dieng; Laird, Dickie, Dunne, Paal; Johansen (Adomah 71), Field, Dozzell; Chair (Armstrong 82), Willock (Roberts 53); Dykes (Kakay 71).
Subs not used: Archer, Masterson, Balogun.