Queens Park Rangers 1-2 Burton Albion
- Published
Clough played more than 300 games for Nottingham Forest and scored 131 goals
Nigel Clough put aside the ongoing speculation about becoming Nottingham Forest boss to guide his struggling Burton Albion side to victory at QPR.
Clough, who has been granted permission to discuss the managerial role at his former club, saw the visitors lead through Luke Murphy's 30-yard strike.
Lloyd Dyer's breakaway effort put an increasingly impressive Burton 2-0 up.
Conor Washington's shot gave hope of a comeback, but the visitors held on to climb out of the relegation zone.
The Brewers had lost seven of their previous eight Championship matches and eight from nine in all competitions, but stifled the home side in the first half.
Murphy's stunning 12th-minute effort was Burton's first goal in their fifth match of 2017 and gave them the belief to seize control.
Dyer's finish through keeper Alex Smithies' legs, after exchanging passes with loan signing Lasse Vigen Christensen, put Clough's men well on top.
Substitute Washington scored at the second attempt - his fourth goal of the season - as QPR switched to two up front.
Dyer twice wasted good chances to make it 3-1 after good work by Jackson Irvine while Washington forced a fine save from keeper Jon McLaughlin.
But the Brewers were able to see out just their second away league win of the season and ensure a first defeat in five matches for QPR.
QPR manager Ian Holloway:
"It's bitterly disappointing, because I thought we could play better than that and give a better show of ourselves.
"I'm sick and fed up of feeling like I do now. It's not how I want to feel. We have to assert ourselves on games and we didn't do it in the way I wanted us to.
"I need to bring the right sort of people in if I can. We've got lots of things spinning at the moment. Which way are they going to drop? We're not sure yet.
"But hopefully they'll give me the right sort of selection problems so I can build a team that can win different types of games."
Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough:
"It was important to get out of the bottom three and we've done that. This game today was so important for the club. Whatever happens in the next few days happens.
"The most important thing was to not let it get in the way of what happened today. This game has been the priority all along.
"The players have been great in training as always - you saw the work-rate."
Luke Murphy's goal was his first for Burton after joining on loan from Leeds at the start of January
- Published28 January 2017
