Queens Park Rangers vs Coventry City. Sky Bet Championship.
Loftus Road StadiumAttendance16,713.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between QPR and Coventry at Loftus Road as two goals from Viktor Gyokeres either side of a Gustavo Hamer strike sealed victory for the Sky Blues.
Saturday 15 April 2023 22:53, UK
Viktor Gyokeres scored a brace as Coventry eased to a 3-0 Championship victory at QPR which took them one point off the play-off places, while increasing the London side's relegation worries.
Gyokeres opened the scoring 10th minute at Loftus Road, where woeful Rangers suffered a third-consecutive defeat and 11th home loss of a miserable campaign.
Late goals from Gustavo Hamer and Gyokeres sealed a resounding victory for City, who are seventh, one point behind sixth-placed Blackburn.
QPR have now lost seven and won just one of their nine matches since Gareth Ainsworth took over as head coach and that is their only win in 20 matches in all competitions.
Shambolic defending and the consistent unavailability of several players have been major factors in their spectacular decline.
More recently, letting in early goals has been a problem as well and for the fifth time in six matches they conceded in the opening 10 minutes.
Their poor defending was evident again as left-back Kenneth Paal was nudged off the ball in the middle of the pitch and Hamer carved open Rangers with a simple pass to his right to Gyokeres, who slotted past goalkeeper Seny Dieng.
Rangers have struggled to create chances during their appalling run, particularly since Ainsworth's appointment resulted in a much more direct style of play.
They did go close with a couple of free-kicks from Ilias Chair before the interval, the first whizzing over and the second - the final kick of the half - bringing a brilliant save from Ben Wilson.
Keeper Wilson was called into action again early in the second half, stopping a powerful strike from Sam Field as QPR searched in vain for an equaliser.
They were unable to maintain that pressure and faded even more after Chair was taken off - a substitution which seemed to surprise the Rangers playmaker and certainly annoyed the home crowd.
Although Wilson's two fine saves were crucial in helping Coventry pick up a first win in four matches, they were otherwise comfortable.
The Sky Blues always looked a threat on the counter-attack and got the all-important second goal with four minutes remaining.
Gyokeres sped down the left and found Tyler Walker, who was unable to apply the finish but managed to tee up the Hamer, who netted at the second attempt after his first effort had been saved by Dieng.
And worse followed for Rangers two minutes later when the outstanding Hamer drifted down the left and set up Gyokeres, who fired the ball in off the post to celebrate his 21st goal of the season.
QPR's Gareth Ainsworth:
"We're too easy to score against and once the goal goes in we're too fragile. We then start looking around, going into individual mode and we're not a team then and that's tough to take. I thought we were OK and not out of it totally until the second goal. That goal is so disappointing because we are wide open at the back. It's not as though we haven't worked on that in training. Why we sometimes don't replicate what we do in training is a mystery. We're wide open, we really are. We're gung ho in the 70th minute and once the second goal goes in, that takes us out of the game.
"It's hard. But I came in with open eyes. There's a hell of a lot to change here, but I can't do it in the period of time I've got until the end of the season. I've just got to try and manufacture teams that gets results."
Coventry's Mark Robins:
"I thought Viktor was back to his best. He looked outstanding. He's been a little bit tired since coming back from international duty but he's got his energy back and behind him Gustavo was outstanding with his energy, desire and willingness to run. He (Hamer) was really good between both boxes but also his goal and his assists were there for everybody to see. He was absolutely incredible.
"To be talking about us and the play-offs and being in the top six at this stage, it's an incredible job that the players and staff have done, and the supporters. We've got four games left and you can smell it (the play-offs). It was there before but in terms of being in the top six now, at this point without Blackburn playing just yet, it's been a really good day's work. We've got some tough games coming up but the players will be buoyed by that win. Whatever happens, it's exciting stuff."
