Queens Park Rangers 3-1 Hull City: Hoops sweep aside below-par Tigers

Ilias ChairImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Ilias Chair curled in his third goal in the last five games

An impressive first-half display fired Queens Park Rangers to an emphatic Championship win as Hull's away day blues continued at Loftus Road.

Rangers were quickly ahead through a superb solo effort from Ilias Chair who took the ball from Tigers defender Alfie Jones, and raced goalwards before sending a nonchalant 25-yard curling effort into the top corner.

Ethan Laird slid in to meet Kenneth Paal's inviting cross and claim his first career goal before Chris Willock made it 3-0 at the break, finding the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Tyler Smith denied the hosts their first clean sheet of the season when he latched on to a ball over the top and rifled a consolation past Hoops keeper Seny Dieng.

A third win of the season lifted Rangers up to sixth place, while a second defeat in three dropped the Tigers to seventh in the early-season table.

Hull kicked off in third thanks to a 100% home record, but on the road it is a different story - they have picked up just two points from four league trips and conceded eight times in their past two matches.

Cyrus Christie made his first start in the Tigers defence since his move from Fulham, but they were cut open easily in a disjointed first-half display, with Chair taking advantage to showcase his talents.

He had already fired narrowly wide before his sublime finish set the ball rolling, with Manchester United loanee Laird and Willock's fourth goal in as many games putting the confident Hoops in complete control.

Hull striker Oscar Estupinan could not add to his tally of seven goals in six league games, with Dieng tipping a first-half effort over the bar and then came out smartly to snuff out another threat.

Lyndon Dykes had a golden chance to make it 4-0 after the break, but somehow miscued from three yards with only Hull goalkeeper Matt Ingram to beat before Smith provided late cheer for the Tigers.

QPR boss Mick Beale told BBC London 94.9:

"We were excellent for half-an-hour tonight and played some really good football. I thought we were ruthless in the final third, all three goals.

"After that we didn't really know what to do at 3-0. We missed a great chance to go 4-0 and then we got a bit tired.

"We're still looking for that elusive clean sheet - the goal was clearly offside and that's the disappointing thing coming out of the night. We kept Seny pretty calm all night but a linesman's decision has robbed us of a clean sheet that we probably deserved.

"I'm really enjoying the job. It's what I've always wanted to do, it's what I've been building to for 21 years so now I'm going to enjoy it, the highs and the lows, and keep growing with this young group, and in this league anything is possible."

Hull City manager Shota Arveladze told BBC Radio Humberside:

"It was a sloppy start and bam-boom, the game is over.

"I expect a little bit of leadership on the field. Of course the first goal was quality and you cannot defend that, but we have players who can do much more, even when it's a bad start, and not let the game go when it's absolutely collapsing.

"This is what we need to learn and react (to) very very early rather than just (throw) away the game, for they may slow down and that brings you in again."

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