Blackburn Rovers vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.
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Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Blackburn Rovers and Queens Park Rangers at Ewood Park on Saturday | Aynsley Pears' own goal and Joseph Hodge boost Rangers survival hopes as Rovers slump continues.
Saturday 3 February 2024 18:36, UK
QPR scored twice in three second-half minutes to boost their survival hopes with a 2-1 win at Blackburn.
QPR took a 61st-minute lead through an unfortunate Aynsley Pears own goal, which owed much to the magic of Ilias Chair, but it was the least they deserved and Joe Hodge's assured finish seven minutes into his QPR debut doubled their advantage.
It was too much for Blackburn's supporters, who vociferously protested against owners Venky's and their CEO Steve Waggott before Sam Gallagher's fourth of the campaign halved the deficit 17 minutes from time.
But the visitors held on for their first win on this ground since October 1999 and with Blackburn now only five points clear of danger after a winless run of eight, QPR may have dragged them into the relegation battle.
Benjamin Chrisene should have given Rovers a fifth-minute lead when he found space inside the box and switched onto his right foot but got his curling effort all wrong and missed the target.
QPR looked the most assured of the two sides though and Chair engineered space on the left soon after, cutting inside before unleashing a rasping shot that Pears tipped away.
They went even closer when a flowing move saw Reggie Cannon cross for Sinclair Armstrong at the near post but he put his first-time shot the wrong side of the post.
Rovers were toothless, though Joe Rankin-Costello forced Asmir Begovic into a low save before Armstrong's shot from a narrow angle was tipped behind.
The visitors went close again two minutes after the restart when Chair whipped a dangerous cross to the back post that Steve Cook met but his header whistled just wide, before Armstrong missed a glaring chance when over-running the ball clean through, allowing Pears to smother.
QPR got the goal their performance deserved just after the hour and it was thanks to the game's outstanding player in Chair, who jinked inside from the left and dummied before letting fly with a ferocious low 25-yard strike that clattered the post and rebounded in off Pears.
They doubled their advantage three minutes later and there was no luck about this one as Armstrong found Hodge's perfectly timed run into the box and he had time to pick his spot, slotting the ball beyond Pears into the right corner.
The atmosphere was bordering on mutinous after the second goal but Blackburn rallied and grabbed a lifeline when Rankin-Costello chased his mis-hit shot and bundled the ball into the path of Gallagher who fired through the legs of Begovic.
Begovic produced a sprawling save to deny Gallagher, and Semir Telalovic poked over deep into added time, but QPR held on for a vital win.
Blackburn's Jon Dahl Tomasson:
"We are disappointed to lose the game. I think actually we started really well. It was a good chance for Ben (Chrisene). Brilliant play, he should have scored that.
"I don't think the level is the same as Monday when we really played well and in the end of the game, we scored a good goal but we created plenty of chances to score goals.
"We conceded two unnecessary goals of course where we should have done better. We knew they could be dangerous in transition where we lost balls where normally we shouldn't lose balls.
"I think the lads and our fans showed great character. We almost got the draw. I think we had two or three good opportunities. Big chances to get the second.
"So all the credit to the players and actually also for the fans to stay behind the team but of course disappointed. We want to win games."
QPR's Marti Cifuentes:
"Important win for us, definitely because we knew we were playing against a team that offensively they are one of the best teams.
"When they are in possession, they can create a lot of chances and I think we contained them well for first 70-75 minutes.
"In addition, a difficult place for QPR historically, it's been a lot of years since the last victory. In this situation, where we are, every victory is so, so important with the results that happened today.
"It was not easy. I think small margins today, the goal of Ilias (Chair), a very brilliant action but today the ball rebounded and went in. Other days, unfortunately it's been post and out.
"I'm a big believer that the small margins when you work hard, when you work in a humble way, starts to pay off. Hopefully this will be what this team will start to achieve because since my arrival, the team has been competing very well in all the games. Hopefully this can be a turning point."
