QPR come from behind to crush Norwich

QPR 4 Norwich 1

Matt Smith played a key role in a resounding QPR victory and youngster Ebere Eze impressed again.  

Massimo Luongo’s goal – his fourth in seven games – hauled Rangers level straight after Ryan Manning’s freak first-half own goal.

And after Smith headed home 10 minutes into the second half, he teed up Eze to make it 3-1 five minutes later.

Manning scored at the right end with 10 minutes remaining, heading in Jake Bidwell’s left-wing cross to complete a resounding Rangers win.

Smith’s goal was his fourth in his last seven starts and his ninth of the season.

When the ball looped into the air after Smith had stuck out a foot and inadvertently blocked Josh Scowen’s shot, keeper Angus Gunn looked well placed to mop up the danger.

However, he was left embarrassed by target man Smith, who rose above him and nodded in from near the edge of the six-yard box.

Smith then laid on a goal for Eze, heading Scowen’s long ball down to the teenage forward, who held off Ivo Pinto and slotted past Gunn.

Earlier, Smith headed Eze’s cross against the post shortly Norwich took a 37th-minute lead.

Harrison Reed raced down the left and crossed towards Josh Murphy, Scowen slid in to tackle the Canaries winger and the ball ricocheted off the unlucky Manning and into the net.

But Rangers took less than two minutes to find an equaliser.

Luongo exchanged passes with Smith inside the box, evaded two challenges and nudged the ball beyond Gunn and into the far corner.

Norwich had made the better start and Nelson Oliveira was denied by challenges from Smith and Bidwell early on.

Oliveira saw a shot deflected wide by Smith after being ​found​ by James Maddison, while Bidwell reacted quickly to move across from left-back and prevent Mario Vrancic’s cross reaching the ​City​ forward.

Vrancic headed wide from Maddison’s corner before Rangers finally registered a shot on target when Gunn gathered a long-range effort from Joel Lynch.

Luke Freeman then had one shot saved by Gunn and fired another wide before the four-minute spell in which Smith hit the woodwork and Rangers responded immediately after going behind.

It was one-way traffic after the break and after Rangers’ quickfire goals, Freeman went close with a free-kick before Manning emphatically ended any prospect of a late Norwich comeback.