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Charlie Austin needed only one chance – one fortunate break to go his way – for him to start turning this game on its head.
By the time he was done, he had devastated West Bromwich Albion, scoring a hat-trick and winning the game for Queens Park Rangers all by himself. It all started with a tangle in the penalty area after 24 minutes.
Rangers were 2-0 down in a must-win game and the only relevant question seemed to be how many West Brom would score. But James Morrison wrapped his arms around Leroy Fer as a corner came in and Craig Pawson did what many referees would not and awarded a penalty.
Alan Irvine, the West Brom manager, was right to say that “they do not get given every week”, but that does not make Pawson wrong.
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in picturesShow all 117 1 /117Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 QPR 1 Steven Gerrard celebrates his match-winning goal against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 QPR 1 Steven Gerrard saw his penalty effort saved by Robert Green
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Liverpool 2 QPR 1 Leroy Fer scores QPR's equaliser
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 QPR 1 Wilfried Zaha opened the scoring, tapping home at the back post.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 QPR 1 James McArthur bundles in a Yannick Bolasie cross to double the lead.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 QPR 1 Joel Ward curled a shot past Robert Green to make it 3-0 at half-time, two minutes after McArthur.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Crystal Palace 3 QPR 1 Matt Phillips celebrates after scoring a brilliant goal, but it was too little, too late.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Arsenal 2 Alexis Sanchez celebrates his goal for Arsenal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Arsenal 2 Olivier Giroud puts the Gunners ahead
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Arsenal 2 Gabriel goes off injured in the 36th minute
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Hull 2 QPR 1 Charlie Austin eased the pressure on QPR with a well-time equaliser before the break.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Hull 2 QPR 1 Joey Barton added to Rangers' woes with a foolish red card after lashing out at Tom Huddlestone.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Hull 2 QPR 1 Nikica Jelavic blasted Hull ahead in a vital relegation battle with QPR.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Southampton 0 QPR 2 Bobby Zamora (right) celebrates scoring QPR's second
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Sadio mane celebrates with his Southampton team-mates after his late goal against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Sadio Mane scores a late winner in Southampton's 1-0 victory over QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Southampton defender Matt Targett is carried from the field after suffering a neck injury
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Southampton 1 Clint Hill jostles with Sadio Mane
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Manchester United 2 James Wilson scored United's second to seal the win
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Manchester United 2 Marouane Fellaini celebrates with his Manchester United team-mates
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Manchester United 2 Marouane Fellaini scores to put United ahead
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Manchester United 2 Rob Green keeps out an effort by Radamel Falcao
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 QPR 1 Scott Arfield curls the ball past Rob Green to put Burnley into the lead.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 QPR 1 Charlie Austin was fouled and then got up to score the penalty - his 13th goal of the season
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 QPR 1 Danny Ings slots home the crucial winner
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 QPR 1 Harry Redknapp's team fell to their 10th straight away defeat
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 QPR 1 Adel Taarabt (right) made his return to the QPR team after a row with Redknapp earlier this season.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Burnley 2 QPR 1 Sean Dyche's team picked up a crucial win over their rivals at the bottom of the division.
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Swansea 1 Wilfried Bony applauds the Swansea fans as he leaves the pitch
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Swansea 1 Leroy Fer celebrates after putting QPR in front
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Crystal Palace 0 Palace's caretaker manager Keith Millen reacts on the touchline
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Crystal Palace 0 Palace's Fraizer Campbell goes flying in the box under a challenge from Queen’s Park Rangers’ Joey Barton late in the game
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 West Brom 2 Charlie Austin heads in his third goal to win the game for QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 West Brom 2 Charlie Austin celebrates scoring his second for QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 West Brom 2 Charlie Austin bundles home his second goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 West Brom 2 Charlie Austin rushes back after scoring his first goal of the game against West Brom
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 West Brom 2 Joleon Lescott celebrates scoring a rare goal for West Brom
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 West Brom 2 Joleon Lescott heads West Brom in front against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Everton 3 QPR 1 Ross Barkley celebrates after opening the scoring for Everton against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Everton 3 QPR 1 Kevin Mirallas of Everton scores Everton's second goal with a deflected free kick
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Everton 3 QPR 1 Steven Naismith of Everton celebrates scoring Everton's third goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Everton 3 QPR 1 Joey Barton congratulates Queens Park Rangers' striker Bobby Zamora after he scored a late consolation
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Burnley 0 Leroy Fer celebrates scoring the opening goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Burnley 0 Bobby Zamora of QPR argues with Thomas Heaton of Burnley
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Burnley 0 Charlie Austin of QPR celebrates scoring his team's second goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Burnley 0 Charlie Austin is sent off shortly after scoring. Thankfully for the striker his team was able to hold on
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Swansea 2 QPR 0 Nico Kranjcar curls a free-kick at goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Swansea 2 QPR 0 Wayne Routledge evades the pressure from Yun Suk-Young
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Swansea 2 QPR 0 Lukasz Fabianski makes a ffantastic close-range save from Leroy Fer
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Swansea 2 QPR 0 Eduardo Vargas is pressured by Leon Britton and Ashley Williams
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Swansea 2 QPR 0 Ki SUng-Yeung celebrates after putting Swansea into the lead
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Swansea 2 QPR 0 Routledge (unseen) fires Swansea's second goal past Rob Green
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 Leicester City 2 Esteban Cambiasso celebrates scoring the opener
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 Leicester City 2 Joey Barton soars to win a header
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 Leicester City 2 Esteban Cambiasso shields the ball from Eduardo Vargas
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 Leicester City 2 Kasper Schmeichel celebrates a Leicester goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 Leicester City 2 Leroy Fer nets QPR's second
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 3 Leicester City 2 Charlie Austin challenges Esteban Cambiasso
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Chelsea 2 QPR 1 Gary Cahill attempts to head in a Chelsea corner
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Chelsea 2 QPR 1 Oscar opened the scoring with a brilliant shot, Cesc Fabregas providing the assist
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Chelsea 2 QPR 1 Oscar curled the ball with the outside of his foot into the far corner
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Chelsea 2 QPR 1 QPR striker Charlie Austin scored a cheeky back-heel to draw Rangers level with their local rivals
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Chelsea 2 QPR 1 Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is not impressed after seeing his team pegged back by the side at the bottom of the table
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Chelsea 2 QPR 1 Chelsea players mob Eden Hazard after he first won and then converted the penalty that turned out to be the winning goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Aston Villa 0 QPR celebrate the opening goal against Aston Villa
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Aston Villa 0 Zamora and Lowton in action
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Aston Villa 0 Rob Green makes a useful intervention
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Aston Villa 0 Yoon Suk Young makes a tackle
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Aston Villa 0 Charlie Austin celebrates his second goal of the game
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Richard Dunne puts into his own net to open the scoring.
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Leroy Fer reacts to a missed opportunity
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Charlie Austin in action
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Alex McCarthy sees the ball hit the back of the net
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Raheem Sterling, who played from the start, in action
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Mario Balotelli failed to find the back of the net again despite some great chances
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Liverpool 3 Steven Caulker scores the match winning own goal at the death
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures West Ham 2 QPR 0 West Ham players celebrate the win at Upton Park
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures West Ham 2 QPR 0 Diafra Sakho heads in West Ham's second
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures West Ham 2 QPR 0 Nedum Onuoha puts the ball in his own net
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Graziano Pelle celebrates scoring for Southampton
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Graziano Pelle reacts after missing a simple chance for Saints
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Sandro limps off with an injury, just days after hurting his knee by sliding to celebrate a goal in training
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Southampton 2 QPR 1 Armand Traore, Steven Davis and Leroy Fer compete for the ball
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Niko Kranjcar celebrates his late equaliser
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Niko Kranjcar equalises for QPR with a superb free-kick with just two minutes remaining
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Peter Crouch slams home to give Stoke the lead again
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Robert Green is helpless to stop Peter Crouch's goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 QPR players celebrate after their equaliser
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Steven Caulker and Leroy Fer celebrate the goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Peter Crouch and Charlie Adam can't keep Steven Caulker's header out
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Steven Caulker equalises for QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Stoke players celebrate their opening goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 2 Stoke 2 Mame Biram Diouf heads in the opening goal from close range
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Radamel Falcao makes his United debut
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Juan Mata completes the rout at Old Trafford
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Wayne Rooney celebrates the third
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Daley Blind and Sandro in action
Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Angel Di Maria celebrates his first goal for United against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 Adam Johnson (right) and Clint Hill both made their first starts of the season
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 QPR skipper Joey Barton drives forward for the home side
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 QPR midfielder Leroy Fer is challenged by Jack Rodwell in the centre of midfield
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 Jordan Mutch and Sebastian Larsson challenge for the aerial ball
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 Charlie Austin reacts to fire home his first ever Premier League goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 1 Sunderland 0 Austin's goal gave QPR their first points of the season with his goal right on the stroke of half-time
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 4 QPR 0 Harry Redknapp, the QPR manager, is greeted by Mauricio Pochettino prior to the game at White Hart Lane
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 4 QPR 0 Nacer Chadli celebrates after opening the scoring against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 4 QPR 0 Tottenham defender Eric Dier (C) celebrates scoring the second goal against QPR with Argentinian midfielder Erik Lamela
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 4 QPR 0 Christian Eriksen takes a free-kick against QPR - hitting the crossbar
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 4 QPR 0 Nacer Chadli of Spurs heads past Robert Green of QPR to score his team's third goal
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 4 QPR 0 Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor (L) scores Tottenham's fourth goal against QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 The two managers Steve Bruce (left) and Harry Redknapp watch the action unfold at Loftus Road
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 QPR left-back Armond Traore and Hull striker Nikica Jelavic get tangled up in the corner
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 QPR's new signing Jordan Mutch tries to avoid an incoming tackle from Hull midfielder Tom Huddlestone
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 Despite speculation linking him with a move away from Loftus Road, Loic Remy started in the blue and white of QPR
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 James Chester makes it 1-0 to the visitors, heading home from a corner early in the second half
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 Referee Craig Pawson lays down vanishing spray to mark out a free-kick at Loftus Road
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Queens Park Rangers - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Hull City 1 Charlie Austin, last season's top scorer for QPR, saw a late penalty that would have earned a point for the home side saved
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Austin scored it, of course, bringing Rangers back into a game in which they had previously played no part whatsoever. His team were stable and, three minutes into the second half, he scored again, dragging Rangers level. Joey Barton curled in a corner, Richard Dunne’s header was tipped onto the bar by Ben Foster, Bobby Zamora hooked the ball back into the middle and Austin did the rest.
Most of the second half was tight and tense, with both sides nervous about whether to stick with one point or push for three. But Harry Redknapp, the QPR manager, threw on Junior Hoillet, who won a corner with four minutes left. Barton took it and Austin, after 86 minutes of running, found enough energy in his legs to spring above Sebastian Pocognoli and head the ball into the net.
Lescott heads West Brom in front against QPR (Getty Images) That mades 11 Premier League goals this season for Austin, who was roared off at the end by the Loftus Road faithful. Six years ago Austin was scoring hat-tricks for Poole Town in the Wessex Premier Division after working on a building site. Now, he is the most important man in the attempt to keep QPR in the top flight.
Redknapp said: “Charlie has scored goals at every level, from the Southern League through the lower divisions and now in the Premier League. He deserves it, he’s a great lad. Everyone talks about his three goals but his tackle, late in the game, was like a full-back. That summed his work-rate up.”
Lescott celebrates scoring a rare goal for West Brom (Getty Images) Redknapp was relieved with a win that, even at this stage in the season, felt imperative. Having not taken a single point on their travels so far, QPR need home wins and this was their fifth of the season. It took them to 15th, behind West Brom only on goal difference.
Before the game-changing penalty, West Brom had actually been playing very well. Irvine kept the same side who beat Aston Villa last weekend and, with their 4-5-1 system, they dominated QPR in midfield. Silvestre Varela and Stephane Sessegnon were too sharp and imaginative for Rangers’ lumbering back line, and it did not take long for them to take the lead.
Sessegnon flicked on Pocognoli’s corner at the near post and Joleon Lescott headed past Rob Green. It was simple, effective and almost unopposed. West Brom’s second, 10 minutes later, was much the same.
Austin rushes back after scoring his first goal of the game against West Brom (Getty Images) Eduardo Vargas rolled a loose pass straight to Varela, who ran forward with the ball. The defence backed off the Portuguese winger and a quick exchange of passes with Sessegnon took Dunne out of the game. Varela finished past Green and it felt like this was going to be a footballing lesson that would continue all afternoon.
Irvin said afterwards: “We didn’t surrender the lead, we lost it. It was bitterly disappointing.
Charlie Austin heads in his third goal to win the game for QPR (Getty Images) “For the majority of the game we were the better team. But it is harder to lift the players up if you play badly. And we didn’t play badly.”
QPR: (4-4-2) Green; Onuoha, Dunne, Caulker, Yun (Hill, 29); Vargas (Hoillet, 67), Henry, Barton, Fer; Austin, Zamora (Kranjcar, 80).
West Bromwich: (4-1-4-1) Foster; Wisdom, McAuley, Lescott, Pocognoli (Gamboa, 90); Morrison; Sessegnon, Gardner, Dorrans, Varela; Ideye (Berahino, 69).
Referee: Craig Pawson.
Man of the match: Austin (QPR)
Match rating: 7/10
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