Queens Park Rangers 0-1 Huddersfield Town: Juninho Bacuna goal eases Terriers' worries
- Published
Juninho Bacuna's goal was his fourth in the Championship this season
Juninho Bacuna's second-half strike eased Huddersfield's relegation fears as they overcame QPR at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.
The midfielder rifled home a swerving half-volley to secure only the Terriers' second victory since the turn of the year and relieve the pressure on boss Carlos Corberan.
Rangers saw plenty of the ball but created only one opportunity of note, with Todd Kane denied by Ryan Schofield at close range.
Huddersfield's win lifts them to 18th place - nine points clear of the bottom three - while QPR slip to 13th.
Employing a high-tempo pressing game, the Terriers began brightly and Lewis O'Brien strode through midfield to force Seny Dieng into a diving save as early as the second minute.
Isaac Mbenza and Richard Keogh also went close for the visitors, while QPR controlled the bulk of the first-half possession without putting the Town defence under much pressure.
But they should have taken the lead 10 minutes before the break when Ilias Chair galloped infield and slid the ball back for Kane, who side-footed straight at Schofield from eight yards out.
However, it was Huddersfield who broke the deadlock in the 55th minute as Pipa advanced down the left and bent the ball across for Bacuna to unleash a powerful finish from the edge of the box.
The Curacao international nearly made it 2-0 soon afterwards, whipping a free-kick narrowly wide, while Dieng dived to push away a low attempt from substitute Duane Holmes.
The Terriers, who had lost six of their previous seven away games, might have sealed the points with a late counter-attack, but Yaya Sanogo bundled O'Brien's cross wide.
'We know he has a way of finishing' - reaction
QPR manager Mark Warburton told BBC Radio London 94.9:
"In truth, you can have the football all afternoon but it's about having a clinical edge, being ruthless in the box and we lacked that edge today.
"Our shape was wrong, but when we adjusted it in the last 20 minutes of the first half, we dominated. But those are the moments when you have to score - we had a big chance and we didn't take it.
"If we go in 1-0 at half-time, it's a whole different dynamic. We knew we were going to have more of the ball, but they always possessed dangerous individuals and the one time we lost our shape, Bacuna punished us."
Huddersfield head coach Carlos Corberan told BBC Radio Leeds:
"It's not easy to play many games in a row, like he [Juninho Bacuna] is playing - at the same time, he's a player that has the versatility to play in different positions like today.
"When he arrives in the box, we know he has a way of finishing. He had two opportunities to do this today, fortunately he scored one goal but what I appreciate more about Juninho is his effort.
"The effort of the players today was unbelievable. The three points is very positive for the dressing-room and for their confidence."