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Full Time After Extra Time This is a live match. Extra Time Half Time

Derby County vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.

Pride Park StadiumAttendance30,135.

Derby County 2

  • P Dickov (10th minute)
  • R Savage (36th minute)

Queens Park Rangers 4

  • A Taarabt (40th minute)
  • G Mahon (47th minute)
  • J Simpson (59th minute)
  • A Buzsaky (91st minute pen)

R's comeback stuns Rams

Image: Taarabt: Impressed for the visitors

QPR battled back from a two-goal deficit before running out deserved 4-2 winners over Derby County.

In-form QPR recover from two-goal deficit

Queens Park Rangers battled back from a two-goal deficit before running out deserved 4-2 winners over Derby County at Pride Park. The Rams were quick out of the blocks with Paul Dickov opening the scoring on 10 minutes and things got even better when Robbie Savage curled home a delightful free-kick. The visitors pulled one back before half-time when the lively Adel Taarabt lashed home a fine set-piece of his own to give Jim Magilton's side hope. QPR retained their impetus into the second half with Gavin Mahon levelling the scores from close range before on-loan Jay Simpson slotted home to put the visitors in front on 59 minutes. Akos Buzsaky's successful penalty late on confirmed the points which have lifted the Londoners into the play-off positions, while injury-hit Derby stay four points clear of third-from-bottom Reading in the table.

First Rams goal

Derby took the lead when Savage's quick free-kick caught the Rangers defence napping and Dickov grabbed his first Rams goal courtesy of an emphatic first-time finish. The Rams almost doubled their advantage after 18 minutes when Gary Teale dispossessed Wayne Routledge and whipped in a cross for Rob Hulse to thunder a header goalwards. Rangers keeper Radek Cerny was equal to the task and produced a stunning reaction save before the rebound evaded the prowling Dickov. QPR were feeling their way back into the game when Damion Stewart was harshly adjudged to have fouled Dickov on the edge of the penalty area 10 minutes before half-time. From the resulting set-piece, Savage curled a sumptuous 20-yard free-kick into the top corner beyond the helpless Cerny. In the 40th minute Taarabt proved himself to be more than equal to the standard set by Savage when he was brought down by Paul Connolly 25 yards from goal. The Moroccan playmaker dusted himself down to swerve a clinical low effort around the outside of the Derby wall and into the bottom corner of Stephen Bywater's goal. The first half ended in a flurry of QPR pressure and less than two minutes after the interval the visitors drew level. Taarabt's teasing ball to the back post was knocked down by Routledge for the onrushing and unmarked Mahon to finish from close range.
Through-ball
Taarabt continued to torment Derby's back line and his clever through-ball released Routledge in the 54th minute, only for the former Tottenham winger to fire straight at Bywater. The seemingly inevitable happened when QPR took the lead just shy of the hour. Rams defender Shaun Barker failed to make a routine clearance and Simpson strolled through the ensuing panic to finish calmly. Derby threatened sporadically thereafter, mainly from set-pieces, but Taarabt had the opportunity to put the game beyond doubt when he latched on to substitute Mikele Leigertwood's cross-field ball and bore down on goal to force Bywater into another impressive stop. Buzsaky settled the issue from the penalty spot in the final minute after Routledge went down under a challenge from Dean Moxey, where contact appeared to be minimal.

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