Flying high: Jay Simpson grabbed the winner for QPR
QPR began life after Flavio Briatore with a rare win after goals from Antonio German and Jay Simpson sank Doncaster.
Mick Harford"s side ended a run of five straight defeats aftercontroversial Italian Briatore announced his resignation as chairmanlast night.
For a club who, under Briatore, signed 47 players in less thantwo-and-a-half years, it was heartening to see local lad German givenhis full debut in attack.
And the 18-year-old grabbed his chance with both hands with his first professional goal.
Rangers" familiar jitters kicked in after the break and Doncaster levelled through James Hayter.
But moments after a streaker showed more fancy footwork than most ofthe players on show, Simpson popped up to tuck away the winner.
Whether it proves enough to keep Harford in a job remains to beseen. New bosses are more frequent than London buses in Shepherd"s Bushthese days with Briatore having overseen 10 changes of manager, andCrystal Palace"s Neil Warnock is still rumoured to be close to becomingthe next.
When these teams last met in November, Rangers were fourth and Rovers 19th.
Yet so spectacular has been Rangers" decline that they kicked off two points off the drop zone.
But with a new sense of optimism sweeping around Loftus Road, the Londoners went ahead in the 24th minute.
Akos Buzsaky crossed from the left, Simpson"s close-range effort was superbly saved by Neil Sullivan but German followed up to net with the rebound.
They could have had a second on the stroke of half-time but Sullivan, who turns 40 next week, somehow kept out Kaspars Gorkss" point-blank header with his feet.
Rovers also had their chances in the first half, with Brian Stock having a shot deflected wide and Billy Sharp firing over.
And Stock squandered their best opportunity when he skied over from eight yards from John Oster"s clever cut-back.
After the break Alejandro Faurlin whistled a shot wide for the hosts before German should have doubled the lead with a free header from Lee Cook"s corner, only to nod the ball over the top.
It is 22 games, and three managers, since Rangers last kept a clean sheet and six minutes into the second half Rovers were level, Sharp wriggling free down the right and crossing for Hayter to lash the ball home.
But Rangers secured their first win of 2010 in style with 14 minutes remaining, when Simpson controlled Buzsaky"s chip on his chest and stroked the ball past Sullivan.
More...Blackpool 2 Reading 0: Campbell and Adam put Royals in troubleCrystal Palace 0 Coventry 1: Bell tolls as Warnock"s Eagles fall into drop zoneCardiff 0 Barnsley 2: Bogdanovic makes profligate Bluebirds pay Sheffield Wednesday 0 Ipswich Town 1: Edwards gives Keane a liftPlymouth 1 Leicester 1: Arnason own goal helps Foxes continue unbeaten run
No comments:
Post a Comment