QPR's Richard Kone holds both arms in the air in celebration of scoringImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Richard Kone has scored four goals since joining QPR in August

Goals from Richard Kone and Paul Smyth completed a second-half fightback as QPR snatched all three points at Bristol City.

The Robins led at half-time after Emil Riis nodded in his fourth goal of the campaign from a Neto Borges cross.

But Rangers levelled when Kone brought down substitute Harvey Vale's ball and fired into the roof of the net.

Northern Ireland international Smyth, another arrival off the bench, then headed in Jimmy Dunne's cross to extend the Hoops' unbeaten run to six games.

Both sides went into the game on the back of midweek draws, with the visitors making six changes to their starting line-up while City boss Gerhard Struber's solitary tweak restored Mark Sykes in place of Ross McCrorie on the right flank.

While Rangers threatened in patches, with half-chances for Koki Saito and Kader Dembele, it was City who created the better opportunities and Scott Twine should have hit the target from close range, latching onto a Riis cutback.

But it was the Danish forward who broke the deadlock when Borges retrieved Sykes' overhit ball on the left flank and, as the QPR defence hesitated, delivered a perfect cross for Riis to head into the net.

City applied pressure at the start of the second half, but were unable to extend their lead and needed a last-ditch sliding challenge from Rob Atkinson to halt Kone after Saito played him through on goal.

The R's fortunes turned after the introductions of Smyth and Vale as the latter immediately supplied a cross to pick out Kone, who controlled and lashed home the equaliser, his fourth goal since joining the club from Wycombe in August.

The home side looked more likely to carve out a winner, with the in-form Anis Mehmeti going close and Atkinson heading a corner just wide of Paul Nardi's goal.

Yet it was Smyth – on target from the halfway line in QPR's 1-1 draw at Ashton Gate last season – who settled the contest, nodding Dunne's ball back across Radek Vitek to secure his side's fourth win in six games.

'Character, intensity and good energy' - Stephan

Bristol City head coach Gerhard Struber told BBC Radio Bristol:

"This is a typical moment from the Championship. You have to be sharp in all moments and we have not had the sharpness in two boxes in the second half which you need – in both directions we were not sharp and we gifted this game so cheaply.

"We had enough chances to win this game. They are really good at the moment and you have to stretch your performance because this was not enough.

"It's a shame we got out with nothing when we can see so many good moments, how we break them down, how we play against the deep block and create chances against them – this was very good to see.

"This is the frustration, I can see my boys in really good moments but in two or three moments we're not ready and lose this game."

Media caption,

Struber: "It's really frustrating we gifted the game"

QPR head coach Julien Stephan told BBC Radio London:

"I'm very happy for the fans and the players because they deserved this win. They started the game well, the first 20 to 25 minutes we had our chances.

"Mentally after the goal the last 15 minutes [of the first half] were more difficult but there was a big reaction and they did a great second-half with character, intensity and good energy and quality with the ball.

"The starters and also the lads who came on the pitch in the second half did very well. Defensively we are able to reduce the danger from the opponents, the structure of the team is good. It's not only the defenders, it's the whole team.

"It's six games unbeaten – I hope we will continue after the international break. When you win two, three games, the confidence increases and you can create positive momentum."

Media caption,

Stephan: 'The players deserve this'

Player of the match

Number: 22 R. Kone
Average rating 8.23
Number: 23 R. Vítek
Average Rating: 4.64
Number: 21 Neto Borges
Average Rating: 4.54
Number: 18 E. Riis
Average Rating: 4.36
Number: 4 A. Randell
Average Rating: 4.30
Number: 16 R. Dickie
Average Rating: 4.20
Number: 11 A. Mehmeti
Average Rating: 4.16
Number: 19 G. Tanner
Average Rating: 4.09
Number: 5 R. Atkinson
Average Rating: 4.00
Number: 14 Z. Vyner
Average Rating: 4.00
Number: 17 M. Sykes
Average Rating: 3.84
Number: 10 S. Twine
Average Rating: 3.77
Number: 2 R. McCrorie
Average Rating: 3.61
Number: 7 Y. Hirakawa
Average Rating: 2.92
Number: 30 S. Armstrong
Average Rating: 2.63
Number: 9 F. Mayulu
Average Rating: 2.50

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.

Related topics