QPR 1-2 Wolves

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Wolves' Matt Jarvis celebrates scoringImage source, PA
Image caption,

Jarvis scored a brilliant equaliser at Loftus Road

Substitute Kevin Doyle scored the winner and provided an assist as Wolves came from behind to beat 10-man QPR and record their first win in 12 games.

QPR took the lead when debutant Bobby Zamora drove in before Djibril Cisse saw red after he raised a hand to the neck of defender Roger Johnson.

Media caption,

Mick McCarthy revels in 'huge' Wolves win over Bolton

Wolves owner Steve Morgan then got the response he wanted having , external after the 3-0 loss to Liverpool.

Matt Jarvis led the charge with his curling shot before Doyle fired home.

Visiting manager Mick McCarthy will leave Loftus Road relieved after his team recorded their first league win in 10 matches, their previous victory having come against Sunderland on 4 December.

The struggling club had drawn their last three away games 1-1 and were outplayed by Mark Hughes's recently revamped QPR for much of the opening 45 minutes.

Zamora drilled in the opener following great play by Adel Taarabt, Cisse and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Indeed, the game was one-way traffic until Cisse's sending off.

Johnson slid in late on the France international, who retaliated by grabbing the neck of the defender, leaving referee Mark Clattenburg little choice but to send off the former Liverpool and Sunderland man in only his second game for the club.

McCarthy changed his formation after the break, taking off defender Richard Stearman and bringing on Doyle up front.

And it took only 53 seconds for the substitution to take effect.

Doyle's swinging cross from the right arrived at the feet of Jarvis, who looked up and carefully placed his shot past Paddy Kenny.

Wolves could have had added at least two more goals in the 10 minutes that followed.

Scotland international Steven Fletcher directed his header on to the bar, before his scuffed shot was cleared off the line by Anton Ferdinand.

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Djibril Cisse red card changed game - QPR's Mark Hughes

Goalkeeper Kenny then palmed away Doyle's stinging drive, and the Republic of Ireland striker also flicked a header a yard wide.

Doyle finally broke QPR's resistance when he collected Jamie O'Hara's pass before turning and beating Kenny with his shot.

QPR mounted a late revival led by Taarabt.

The Morocco international twice went close with efforts from distance, forcing Wayne Hennessey to tip over the first before dinking a shot just over the bar.

Wolves looked jittery at the back during the closing moments but managed to hold on for only their second away win in the league this season.

QPR manager Mark Hughes:

"If we had 11 v 11 I feel very confident in saying we would have won the game quite comfortably.

"But unfortunately we weren't able to keep 11 on the pitch and we conceded two poor goals in terms of what we could have done prior to the goals going in.

"I felt we did really well defensively but then we let ourselves down somewhat, certainly for the first goal and maybe we needed to be a bit stronger in our challenges for the second one."

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy:

"I've been under pressure for the last 20 games as I've only won two of them," he said.

"I was under no more pressure from Wednesday night than I've been for the last 20 games."

On Cisse's red card: "You know me and my sentiments towards football now.

"That for me wasn't a sending off when I played and, strangely enough, Roger's tackle wouldn't have been a booking.

"But it is and the sending off is because you can't grab anybody by the face because it's not allowed any more.

"He was playing well so he's made a mistake and cost his team. And it did because the extra man paid dividends."

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