Queens Park Rangers 1 Blackburn Rovers 0 – Barbet goal moves hosts well clear of Championship drop zone

BY SAM SMITH

A solitary goal by Yoann Barbet earned Queens Park Rangers an important win against play-off chasing Blackburn Rovers at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

Barbet tapped home following a set-piece in an exciting, end-to-end affair that could have gone either way. The West Londoners are now five points above the Championship relegation zone with a game in hand over 22nd-placed Birmingham City.

In this form, a top-half finish is still not out of the question.

Charlie Austin was fortunate not to be sent off inside four minutes after shoving Lewis Travis to the floor. The remainder of the game followed a similarly feisty pattern.

The hosts’ most dangerous attacks were sparked by the impressive Ilias Chair. It was the midfielder who created the first big chance for Mark Warburton’s side – hammering a cross along the six-yard box, which was half-cleared towards Todd Kane but the defender guided his effort wide.

Blackburn grew into the game and Adam Armstrong had a free-kick well tipped over by Seny Dieng. Armstrong then teed up Harvey Elliott on the stroke of half-time but the on-loan Liverpool forward could not keep down his shot.

Austin should have put QPR ahead 10 minutes into the second half. The striker latched on to a loose ball and thumped an effort goalwards, but he was denied by an excellent block by Jarrad Branthwaite.

But that did not matter because Barbet put them ahead during the next attack. Blackburn failed to clear a set-piece and the Frenchman tapped in from close range.

QPR had to rely on some excellent defending to keep their lead. Dieng batted away an Elliott drive, before Rob Dickie superbly blocked Armstrong’s follow-up – with the striker seemingly destined to equalise.

Dieng then sensationally kept out a curling Armstrong drive to ensure successive victories for his side.

IMAGES: Keith Gillard