Queens Park Rangers 4-2 Stoke City: Lyndon Dykes double helps Hoops to first home win
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QPR had not celebrated a match-winner at Loftus Road since a 1-0 victory over Watford in March
Queens Park Rangers finally won at home for the first time this season as they came from behind to beat 10-man Stoke City.
However, the hosts needed luck on their side to record their first victory at Loftus Road.
QPR led through an 11th-minute Lyndon Dykes penalty, which also earned Stoke defender Enda Stevens a yellow card.
The Potters levelled through summer signing Ryan Mmaee before the break, only for Stevens to then be sent off for a 53rd-minute challenge on Ilias Chair, his second bookable offence.
Six minutes later, 10-man Stoke went ahead with a delightful solo effort from Wouter Burger, but Dykes controlled, turned and fired home all in one movement for his second of the game.
Stoke defender Ben Pearson then conceded a clumsy 89th-minute own goal before Chris Willock sealed victory with an injury-time fourth.
Rangers were on a club record 12-game winless home run - and had not scored more than one goal in any of their past 22 home league matches.
There had also been only six goals in the past six league meetings between the two sides since QPR beat Stoke, also 4-2, in February 2020 - and the Potters had kept a clean sheet on their past three visits to Loftus Road.
But, on an emotional evening when QPR paid tribute to club great Terry Venables following his death last week, this was a night to confound the statisticians as new boss Marti Cifuentes celebrated his first QPR victory - at the fourth attempt.
The game hinged on both the incidents involving Stevens, the first of them that questionable penalty.
From Paul Smyth's right-wing cross, QPR defender Steve Cook went sprawling under the close attention of the Stoke right-back and referee James Linington awarded a penalty.
Scotland striker Dykes stepped up to coolly convert the spot-kick, sending Jack Bonham the wrong way as he found the right corner.
It could have been 2-0 when Smyth's shot was tipped over the bar by Stoke keeper Bonham as QPR dominated. However, Stoke levelled when, from Bae Jun-ho's right-wing corner, Mmaee had his first effort blocked but found the back of the net with the rebound.
Summer signing Wouter Burger celebrated his first league goal for Stoke City at Loftus Road
Further angered by the red card for Stevens after his challenge on Chair, the Stoke players were stung into a response and Burger completed the turnaround when he picked his way forward before curling a lovely low left-foot shot just inside the left upright.
With just 11 minutes left, Dykes equalised with his second of the night as he latched on to a looping headed clearance, chested the ball down and hit a dipping right-foot volley into the left corner.
And the hosts were still not finished. After great work on the left by indefatigable substitute Ziyad Larkeche, who fought ferociously to keep the ball as he wriggled along the byline, the under-pressure Pearson sliced past his own keeper at the near post.
Willock then raced forward to slot home number four, beating Bonham at his near post.
Who's next?
QPR, who edge above Rotherham United into 22nd, within three points of safety, are in action again on Friday, against Preston at Deepdale.
Stoke, who are winless from their four matches this month, are 17th and may be lower in the table by the time they travel to Devon on Saturday to face 20th-placed Plymouth Argyle.
QPR boss Marti Cifuentes:
"It was a rollercoaster of a game and a fantastic win for us.
"I am really happy, first of all for the players and for the supporters and because I really wanted to win this game in memory of Terry Venables.
"The players know all about a legend like him and the impact he had not only at QPR but in English football and at Barcelona.
"We mentioned that we wanted to go that extra mile to make sure we won the three points for his memory."
Potters boss Alex Neil told BBC Radio Stoke:
"The penalty was so soft it's ridiculous, then obviously the sending-off changes the game.
"That's two key divisions that the referee has made which have completely impacted the flow of the match.
"And there is a third key incident when Ciaran Clark gets manhandled at the back post. If the first one is a penalty, then how he doesn't give that one I don't know."