Queens Park Rangers vs Bolton Wanderers. Premier League.
Loftus Road StadiumAttendance15,195.
Tuesday 28 July 2020 09:00, UK
Bolton Wanderers thumped QPR 4-0 as Kieron Dyer limped off with a serious injury to compound their defeat.
Bolton Wanderers thumped promoted Queens Park Rangers 4-0 at Loftus Road as Kieron Dyer limped off with a serious injury to compound their defeat.
DJ Campbell had an early goal disallowed as QPR showed plenty of spirit early on before Dyer went off with a suspected broken metatarsal.
Gary Cahill's fine goal on the stroke of half-time gave Bolton the lead at the interval and it was an advantage the visitors would not relinquish.
Daniel Gabbidon scored an own goal before Ivan Klasnic's deflected shot further extended their lead.
Fabrice Muamba rounded off the scoring with a cool finish to give Bolton an emphatic win before QPR defender Clint Hill was shown a red card in stoppage-time.
Some of the 15,000 home support headed for an early exit, venting their frustrations at shareholder Flavio Briatore, who could soon sell up to Lotus Formula One boss Tony Fernandes, watching from the directors' box.
Things could have been so different had Campbell, who impressed for Blackpool last season, not seen his early close-range effort disallowed.
Then, on five minutes, Dyer, who has completed 90 minutes only once in his last 29 Premier League matches, stretched for a 50/50 challenge and landed awkwardly, leading to extensive treatment before the former England midfielder had to be carried off on a stretcher, his foot already in a protective boot.
Bolton, who faded badly after their FA Cup semi-final defeat last season, soon settled, with new arrivals Nigel Reo-Coker and Chris Eagles both playing well in midfield.
On the stroke of half-time, they were ahead when Eagles fed Cahill, who had stayed up from a corner.
The centre-back, a target for Arsenal, took one touch before curling a sublime effort into the top left corner.
After 56 minutes, QPR captain Adel Taarabt, who has been linked with a big-money move away during the summer, finally found some space on the edge of the Bolton area, but his shot flew wide.
Bolton, though, were 2-0 up after 68 minutes. Kevin Davies won a free-kick when bundled over by Alejandro Faurlin just outside the area on the left.
Eagles' low delivery was deflected off the wall and across the six-yard box towards the far post, where Gabbidon put the ball into his own net.
Before QPR could mount a recovery, Klasnic made it 3-0 when he drilled home via a deflected effort off Bradley Orr after a knockdown from Davies.
Neil Warnock made a double change on 72 minutes, replacing Tommy Smith and the disappointing Taarabt with Heidar Helguson and Akos Buzsaky.
Cahill was booked for tripping Shaun Derry on the edge of the Bolton penalty area, but Buzsaky hit the free-kick into the wall, which just about summed up Rangers' afternoon.
Muamba swept in number four after a flowing counter-attack and QPR's miserable day was compounded when Hill was shown a straight red card for pushing his head into Petrov's chest as the pair tussled on the near touchline during stoppage time.
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