QPR 3-2 Middlesbrough
Chris Wilder’s Middlesbrough made the long trip south to face Michael Beale’s QPR at Loftus Road, with both teams hoping for their first win of the season.
Within 13 minutes, QPR were ahead when Chris Willock picked up the ball in his own half and went on a darting run through the Middlesbrough midfield before unleashing a cannon into the top left corner from outside the box.
QPR doubled their lead on 27 minutes when a corner from Ilias Chair went through the hands of Boro keeper Zack Steffen and defender Jimmy Dunne headed it into the empty net to make it 2-0.
The misery kept piling on for Middlesbrough when in the 38th minute when Stefan Johansen floated a teasing free kick into the area which Lyndon Dykes neatly headed past Steffen to make it 3-0.
Middlesbrough managed to give themselves some hope before half time when a corner whipped in from Ryan Giles found the head of Matt Crooks who made no mistake to power it past Dieng to start the comeback for Boro.
The sides went into the changing rooms at half time with QPR having a 3-1 lead.
Middlesbrough piled on the pressure in the second half, and were rewarded early, when an inviting ball across the box from goal scorer Matt Crooks found new signing Marcus Forss who made no mistake from five yards out to make it 3-2 in the 58th minute.
Middlesbrough dominated the second half of the game but couldn’t find the opening in the QPR back line to get the equaliser. Then in the 92nd minute QPR won possession and Macauley Bonne found himself through on goal until Boro defender Darragh Lenihan brought him down from behind, earning himself a red card in the process.
Boro finished the game with ten men and couldn’t find the late equaliser which meant Michael Beale picked up his first three points as QPR boss.
QPR jump to 8th ahead of their trip to Tyneside to face Sunderland next Saturday. Middlesbrough on the other hand fall to 20th and face the tough test of Sheffield United at the Riverside Stadium next Sunday.
Both sides, however, are in EFL cup duty this week with QPR taking the short trip across London to face Charlton on Tuesday, and Middlesbrough playing host to Barnsley on Wednesday.
QPR line-up (4-2-3-1): Dieng, Kakay, Dickie, Dunne, Paal, Field, Johansen (Dozzell 82’), Willock (Adomah 74’), Amos, Chair (Hämäläinen 88’), Dykes (Bonne 87’)
Middlesbrough line-up (3-5-2): Steffen, Dijksteel (NcNair 46’), Lenihan, Bola, Jones, Crooks, Howson, McGree, Giles, Forss (Smith 68’), Watmore (Akpom 46’)