QPR’s second-half spree crushes Ipswich

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Ipswich Town 1 QPR 3

QPR appear to be well and truly back on track following their recent wobble.

They responded well after losing Joey Barton to injury six minutes before the break at Portman Road, with second-half goals from Niko Kranjcar, Gary O’Neil and substitute Armand Traore giving them a resounding victory.

Tommy Smith got a last-minute consolation for Ipswich, but by then Rangers had the game won.

The all-important breakthrough by the excellent Kranjcar was a turning point for Harry Redknapp’s side.

Kranjcar collected Benoit Assou-Ekotto’s throw-in and evaded three defenders before finding the far corner of the net with a low shot which Dean Gerken got his fingertips to but could not keep out.

Those fingertips had been enough to prevent Rangers taking a first-half lead, the goalkeeper managing to tip over Charlie Austin’s close-range header from O’Neil’s right-wing cross.

Rangers endured some difficult moments in that first half, not least when keeper Rob Green denied Luke Chambers during a goalmouth scramble before Barton cleared the danger.

And when O’Neil’s loose pass led to David McGoldrick robbing Clint Hill, the recalled Richard Dunne moved across to usher the Ipswich forward away from goal.

Barton was struggling in the opening stages with what seemed like a hamstring problem and was eventually replaced by Karl Henry.

Ipswich therefore seemed to be in a promising position, but Kranjcar struck seven minutes into the second half before O’Neil and Traore netted their first QPR goals.

O’Neil was well placed after Gerken had parried Austin’s low shot, and Traore nipped in to score after Smith had made a total hash of controlling Clint Hill’s hopeful long ball.

Smith’s late goal – a volley from Stephen Hunt’s corner – was a cracker but mattered little.

QPR: Green; Simpson, Dunne, Hill, Assou-Ekotto; Carroll, Barton (Henry 39): Benayoun (Traore 67), O’Neil, Kranjcar (Phillips 85), Austin.
Subs not used: Murphy, Johnson, Wright-Phillips, Onuoha.

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