Queens Park Rangers vs Peterborough United. Sky Bet Championship.
Loftus Road StadiumAttendance13,753.
Report and highlights as Peterborough win 3-1 at QPR; visitors move off bottom of Championship, while also denting hosts' playoff hopes; Luke Amos had given QPR the lead, before a Jonson Clarke-Harris double, including a penalty, and Jack Marriott’s stunner turned the game around
Sunday 20 March 2022 23:02, UK
Peterborough climbed off the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship table with a stunning 3-1 victory at play-off chasing QPR.
Jonson Clarke-Harris scored two of their goals – one of them from the penalty spot – and Jack Marriott’s stunning strike sealed Posh’s first win since Grant McCann’s recent appointment as manager, after Luke Amos had given the hosts the lead.
Amos robbed Jack Taylor, exchanged passes with Ilias Chair and then fired a low shot beyond keeper David Cornell and into the corner of the net from 25 yards to give QPR a ninth-minute lead,
Rangers seemed to be in control and went close to scoring again when Chair drove an effort narrowly wide, before Albert Adomah’s cross was headed against the bar by Andre Gray.
The game might have panned out very differently had that gone in, but from there it all went wrong for Mark Warburton’s side.
Peterborough equalised six minutes before half-time when Dion Sanderson allowed Marriott to turn away from him and shoot from the right-hand side of the penalty area.
Goalkeeper Keiren Westwood parried the shot but Clarke-Harris was first to the loose ball and blasted past Sam Field on the line.
Two goals in the space of as many minutes early in the second half left the home fans stunned.
Clarke-Harris slotted in a 53rd-minute spot-kick after Jimmy Dunne had tripped Joe Ward, before another error by on-loan Wolves defender Sanderson led to Marriott doubling Posh’s lead in emphatic fashion.
Marriott squirmed away from Sanderson and sent an unstoppable shot beyond Westwood and into the far corner via the inside of the post.
Stuttering Rangers, who have lost four of their last five matches, never looked like launching a comeback and have major problems.
Westwood, who had been without a club since leaving Sheffield Wednesday last summer, was making his debut after being signed this week because four Rangers keepers – Seny Dieng, David Marshall, Jordan Archer and Joe Walsh – are all out injured.
With striker Lyndon Dykes also sidelined, Rangers have been struggling and both ends of the pitch and this defeat saw them drop to eighth in the table.
Peterborough’s win moves them above Derby and was their third against QPR this season, having beaten them at home in both the league and FA Cup, although they are still 10 points from safety.
QPR manager Mark Warburton: "Those boos [from the fans at full time] must hurt. They should hurt every player and every staff member to a man - and I'm sure it does. They care passionately. That will hurt. But the punters are right to boo.
"There's anger, frustration and disappointment. I'm disappointed beyond belief. We got the goal, had chances and then gave away an awful goal. Then I didn't recognise us in the second half.
"We gave away an awful penalty - I can't explain that - and then allowed Marriott to turn and shoot on his favourite foot.
"We have to look at that and say it was was so far below our best. We have to get back to basics quickly and not waste what is still a very good opportunity.
"You don't become a bad team [overnight] and there are a lot of good players in that dressing room. But that was so far below our best in the second half.
"They're good players, there's no lack of quality, but we let ourselves down."
Peterborough manager Grant McCann: "I've seen it coming really, over the last four games. [On Sunday] I think we've seen a little bit of all those games but also robustness and we looked more controlled.
"In the second half I felt we were very much in control of all aspects of the game. I also thought we defended very well in the second half. We had to do all sorts to keep that ball out of our net, and credit to the players for doing that.
"It's a good day's work and it gives the boys a lot of confidence going into the international break.
"The break will be a great opportunity for us to work. The players will have a breather and then we'll have a good 10 days of working with the players.
"The games will come thick and fast after the break again. It's been relentless since I've come in. The break gives us some time to work."
