Nottingham Forest vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.
The City GroundAttendance24,021.
Saturday 4 November 2017 18:47, UK
QPR's nightmare run at the City Ground was maintained in emphatic fashion as Nottingham Forest romped to a 4-0 success - ensuring an unwanted Football League record for Ian Holloway's men.
The Hoops have never won at Forest - and never looked likely to - as Mark Warburton's men cruised to a victory inspired by two goals from Tyler Walker and a rampaging performance from Barrie McKay.
QPR have now failed to win in 34 visits to the City Ground - including 29 games in the league, which is now officially the worst run of form of any Football League side at any one venue, eclipsing Grimsby who have failed to win in 28 visits to Blackburn Rovers.
QPR had made a bright start, but it was Forest who took the lead in the 13th minute, as they hit the Hoops on the break. Kieran Dowell was unselfish with his pass as he sent Walker skipping into the box and, while the young striker's first touch looked strong, his second was decisive, as he fired a precise finish beyond the reach of Alex Smithies and into the bottom corner.
A nice interchange between Dowell and Ben Osborn ended with Walker being fed in the box again, but this time the striker's shot was fired wide.
Forest were pushing hard for a second with McKay seeing an effort cleared off the line and Osborn having a fierce shot sent spinning wide by a deflection. Osborn had another shot blocked in the box, while a Traore cross flew right across the face of goal, unconverted.
Forest got the second goal they deserved when Osborn fed Dowell into the box, he rounded Smithies before finding a gap between two QPR players on the line to find the back of the net in the 44th minute. The Reds should have made it 3-0 when Walker picked out Daryl Murphy with a fine cross, but his header was inches wide.
QPR made a double-change at the interval, with both Jamie Mackie and Matt Smith introduced - and former Forest man Mackie should have scored immediately, but planted a header the wrong side of the post.
But it was Forest who were to score again, as an Osborn cross picked out an unmarked McKay towards the far post, from where he drove home an emphatic finish in the 52nd minute. McKay was only denied a second goal by a fine save from Smithes, after the former Rangers man had twisted and turned brilliantly to make room for a shot in the box.
Murphy should have made it 4-0 following more good work from McKay - but prodded his cross just the wrong side of the post. But Walker did make it four in the 84th minute, when he attacked another fine cross from McKay, to hammer the ball into the back of the net.
Mark Warburton: "As a squad we have to keep learning. There were lots of very positive things to take from this, but we missed a lot of chances as well. We created a lot of chances against a strong QPR team who came here on the back of two very good results - so that is a very pleasing performance.
"I am pleased for the players and the fans, of course. But we have to learn from this, just as we do every game."
Ian Holloway: "The first goal in this game was vital - they got it. That first goal lifted them after we had started the better. I was surprised that we looked lacklustre when we got into good positions. We were not as sharp or as clinical as we have been. That made a huge difference. After they got the goal, they grew in confidence and we got a lot of things wrong.
"It was one of those days where I cannot count anyone who has done well in my team. Unfortunately the last goal summed it up. We have been ever so good in the last month, but we do have a voodoo curse here by the look of it and that was continued. Am I disappointed? Yes. But I have to take a wider view of things, because we have been very good in recent weeks. I did not like the way the game finished today. We looked beaten."
