2 years ago
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Brandon Thomas-Asante broke the deadlock for West Brom after a frustrating first half at The HawthornsQueens Park Rangers' winless run was extended to eight games to pile on the pressure on boss Gareth Ainsworth as his luckless Hoops lost to two second-half goals by West Bromwich Albion.
After a dreadful first half, the game all hinged on a 58th-minute incident in which Albion were awarded a controversial penalty before Jimmy Dunne was sent off for arguing about it.
After Grady Diangana was adjudged to have been brought down by Kenneth Paal, several QPR players showed dissent - and referee James Bell issued centre-back Dunne with a second yellow card to earn the Rangers defender his early exit.
Brandon Thomas-Asante brutally slammed a right-foot penalty for his fourth goal of the season - but his first since August.
Then, just nine minutes later, Diangana drilled the Albion second from close range to complete the Baggies' fifth league win of the season and elevate them into the top six.
On a night when the game was 13 minutes late kicking off following the late arrival of the QPR team coach, the visitors failed to manage a single shot on target - and never remotely looked like doing so once they were down to 10 men.
Albion might have been ahead in the opening minutes when, after being fed by Diangana's curling cross from the left, Thomas-Asante tried to take a touch to control the ball - and the chance was gone.
That set the tone for a very flat first half - and it took a moment of defensive brilliance to lift the contest early in the second half.
QPR's Ilias Chair looked to have the goal at his mercy eight yards out but he was halted only by a magnificent block from home defender Cedric Kipre.
Suitably lifted, Albion got up the other end, Diangana won the hosts their match-turning penalty, added his first goal since February - and Albion could have added a third in injury time, but skipper Jed Wallace's low right-foot effort whistled just wide.
Who's next?
Albion, who ended the evening four places higher than they started it, in fifth, do not play now for another six nights when they meet fellow Midlanders Coventry City at the CBS Arena on Monday.
But QPR, still four points adrift of safety in 22nd, are back in action sooner than that when Ainsworth's men face the thankless task of hosting Championship leaders Leicester City.
Line-ups
West Brom
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 24Palmer
- 4KipréSubstituted forTaylorat 86'minutes
- 5Bartley
- 15PietersSubstituted forÁvila Gordónat 86'minutes
- 2Furlong
- 14ChalobahSubstituted forMolumbyat 75'minutes
- 35YokusluSubstituted forMowattat 54'minutes
- 10PhillipsSubstituted forFellowsat 75'minutes
- 7J Wallace
- 11Diangana
- 21Thomas-AsanteBooked at 66mins
Substitutes
- 8Molumby
- 26Ávila Gordón
- 27Mowatt
- 31Fellows
- 33Griffiths
- 36Taylor
- 38Higgins
- 41Love
- 42Shaw
QPR
Formation 5-4-1
- 1Begovic
- 20Cannon
- 2Kakay
- 3DunneBooked at 58mins
- 6Clarke-SalterSubstituted forSmythat 45'minutes
- 22Paal
- 17DozzellSubstituted forArmstrongat 71'minutes
- 4ColbackBooked at 30mins
- 8Field
- 10ChairBooked at 40minsSubstituted forWillockat 81'minutes
- 9Dykes
Substitutes
- 7Willock
- 11Smyth
- 13Archer
- 19Dixon-Bonner
- 21Larkeche
- 23Kelman
- 24Duke-McKenna
- 30Armstrong
- 37Adomah
Referee:James Bell
Attendance:21,749
Live Text
Match ends, West Bromwich Albion 2, Queens Park Rangers 0.
Second Half ends, West Bromwich Albion 2, Queens Park Rangers 0.
Attempt missed. Jayson Molumby (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Pipa.
Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Kenneth Paal.
Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Jed Wallace tries a through ball, but Tom Fellows is caught offside.
Foul by Caleb Taylor (West Bromwich Albion).
Sinclair Armstrong (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt missed. Jed Wallace (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Tom Fellows.
Darnell Furlong (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Chris Willock (Queens Park Rangers).
Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Alex Mowatt tries a through ball, but Kyle Bartley is caught offside.
Brandon Thomas-Asante (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jack Colback (Queens Park Rangers).
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Pipa replaces Erik Pieters.
Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Caleb Taylor replaces Cédric Kipré.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match because of an injury Cédric Kipré (West Bromwich Albion).
Substitution, Queens Park Rangers. Chris Willock replaces Ilias Chair.
Foul by Tom Fellows (West Bromwich Albion).
Jack Colback (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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