QPR 1 Aston Villa 0: Hoops extend unbeaten run of games to five as they survive second half onslaught
Villa have picked up just one win in their last seven and new boss Dean Smith has a lot of work to do
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STEVE McCLAREN lauded his QPR team after they climbed to within three points of the top of the Championship with their fourth win in five games.
The former England boss has overseen a stunning turnaround at Loftus Road after a disastrous start to the season.
Pawel Wszolek’s 38th-minute winner saw QPR climb to seventh in the table.
It is a far cry from when they lost their opening four matches of the season – including the humiliating 7-1 defeat at West Brom.
He said: “That’s three wins in six days with the same team.
“There’s great character in that dressing room, great spirit, togetherness and tonight I am so proud of what they achieved and showed on the field.
“They fought for each other, winning tackles, getting blocks, winning headers. The longer the game went on we had quality going forward.”
In contrast, Smith has lost two games on the spin – at Norwich and last night – after winning his first game in charge against Swansea last week.
Villa have now only won once in their last seven matches and last night were left cursing their finishing in front of goal.
But angry Dean Smith blasted referee Daniel English for not giving enough protection to Jack Grealish last – and feel he is not looked after enough in general as he is targeted by opposing team.
Only Joel Lynch was booked for an over-zealous foul – but persistent fouls from Rs went mainly unpunished.
And Smith rapped: “It’s a concern that the officials aren’t acting on it.
Grealish had a tag team on him at times during the game and it needs looking at.
“You need to protect players like that who are special talents when they are getting kicked all over the place.
“If the ref brandishes a yellow card early, it stops all of that.
“He’s the most fouled played in the league.
“They rotated and took it in turns to foul him. Massimo Luongo fouled him four of five times and others did as well.”
McClaren admitted his team did pinpont Grealish as a danger and had a game plan to stop him.
He said: “I wish we were that clever to rotate it around and kick him, Grealish is a player we had to stop and I thought we did that to a certain degree.
“He is still a great player. They didn’t take turns, we just had to stop that, he is that good a player and you think you’re won the ball and you nick him.
“They’re all small fouls, not big ones, apart from Lynch’s tackle which deserved a yellow. It upset his rhythm that we needed to do.”
The victory brought to an end QPR’s Friday curse. They had lost all THIRTEEN of their previous Friday games – stretching back to Boxing Day, 2014.
Villa carved out an early opening when John McGinn surged forward but drove a thunderous shot wide.
Grealish crashed a shot from the edge of the box just inches wide.
Grealish’s free-kick from midway in the QPR half just evaded Jonathan Kodjia from nodding home.
Down the other end, Eze saw a low piledriver through a crowded penalty box flash wide.
The hosts got a massive let-off when a 30-yard Grealish free-kick rattled the right-hand post – and then moments after the Villa ace crashed a shot straight at keeper Joe Lumley.
QPR were denied a certain penalty when Neil Taylor clearly held back and wrestled Pawel Wszolek to the ground.
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But justice was done when the hosts went in front.
Wszolek was the man who got it – running on to a lovely over-the-top ball from Geoff Cameron before firing home past Nyland off the crossbar.
At half-time, Kodkia kicked the dead ball at Leistner – and the two got embroiled in push and shove which also involved both sets of players and benches.
Abraham missed a guilt-edged chance to level after the break when he scuffed wide.
QPR sub Josh Scowen was teed up on the edge of the box by Nahki Wells but his shot flashed just wide.
Down the other end, Bolasie’s cross was met by a volley from Grealish 16 yards out and it struck Angel Rangel on the hand but the ref waved play on.
Nyland denied Rangers grabbing a second when he tipped over a thumping Scowen shot in stoppage time.