A superb Adel Taarabt goal earned Jim Magilton his first Championship win as QPR boss at Scunthorpe.
A fantastic Taarabt goal earns QPR victory at Scunthorpe
A superb Adel Taarabt goal helped Jim Magilton earn his first Championship win as QPR boss at Scunthorpe.
Taarabt netted in the third minute after picking up possession some 35 yards out, gliding past a couple of defenders into the area before coolly rolling the ball past Iron keeper Joe Murphy.
The on-loan Tottenham forward's first goal of the season lifted the pressure on Magilton, the latest manager tasked with guiding Rangers to promotion.
The visitors should have won more comfortably, with Murphy denying Fitz Hall and Mikele Leigertwood, but Magilton will not be complaining despite having to watch the final few minutes from the stands.
The Northern Irishman was unhappy after his side were denied a late penalty when Wayne Routledge appeared to be felled by Murphy - only to be booked for a dive.
Murphy was already on a yellow card after bringing down Jay Simpson, Rangers' new loan signing from Arsenal, who had burst clear inside the opening 30 seconds.
Lightning start
But the Londoners' lightning start was then rewarded in the third minute when Taarabt scored his great individual goal.
Leigertwood almost made it two but Murphy did well to block the midfielder's shot, before Hogan Ephraim drove wide and Simpson headed Routledge's cross the wrong side of the post.
But Scunthorpe weathered the early storm without conceding a second, and as they got a foothold in the game Paul Hayes, Gary Hooper and Jordan Spence all had shots saved by Radek Cerny.
Shortly before the break Alejandro Faurlin fired narrowly wide before Simpson turned well in the area only to scuff his shot off target.
Murphy kept his side in the game on the hour mark with a fine reaction save from Hall's volley after a half-cleared corner fell to the big centre-half.
Edgy
Leigertwood chipped over the crossbar as Rangers threatened again, but as the second half progressed without a killer second goal the visitors got edgy.
Scunthorpe felt they could have had a penalty when Hayes tumbled in the area but referee Graham Salisbury was not interested.
Cliff Byrne headed over and Grant McCann's free-kick was blocked by Cerny as the hosts searched for a leveller.
At the other end, Rangers' substitutes Heidar Helguson and Rowan Vine linked well in the area, but the latter blazed over the crossbar.
Routledge then rounded Murphy and appeared to be brought down by the keeper, only to earn a booking for his troubles to the disbelief of Magilton, who was sent to the stands for his protests.
