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Bees Batter Ropey Rangers

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BRENTFORD secured their first win at Loftus Road in over 50 years as they eased past a Queens Park Rangers side with nothing to offer the occasion.

Having built up the occasion – somewhat unnecessarily – before kick off, Rangers appeared second best throughout to an organised and motivated Brentford side – the Bees full value for a scoreline that did not truly reflect their dominance.

Having made two changes to the side and with no place in the squad for Olamide Shodipo – Jordan Cousins and the more surprising inclusion of Jack Robinson were thrown in in a haphazard and ill-thought out fashion to try and cobble together a semblance of a team.

It would be fair to say that throughout a pitiful first half, this showed more than a few signs of creaking, and eventually it crumbled shortly before half time when the Bees bested the Rangers rearguard for the umpteenth time.

Scott Hogan had already missed a glut of open goals before Josh Clarke fairly much walked through the Rangers back-line to slot under an unguarded Alex Smithies. It capped off a first half where Rangers’ tactic seemed to be to punt it out to James Perch and hope something would happen.

Much like against Bristol City it was a first half that offered nothing but mind-numbing boredom from a home perspective – Rangers could take solace only in the fact that despite Brentford’s dominance, they continued to spurn the chances that fell their way.

The second half started marginally better but Rangers soon fell back into their old ways of punting forward and hoping for a deft touch to give someone a glimmer of an opening – Brentford meanwhile had creativity and guile in the heart of midfield – Ryan Woods pulling all the strings for the visiting side.

Worryingly for QPR, manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink appeared to shoot his bolt just after the hour mark – slotting Jordan Cousins into right back and bringing on Pawel Wszolek for the visibly unfit Robinson.

Throwing on Seb Polter alongside Idrissa Sylla five minutes later rather heightened the sense of palpable panic on the bench, with no real pattern of play to speak of despite numbers now in the forward line.

It wasn’t a surprise when Brentford continued to threatened – Hogan could have had a hatrick and more, but placed straight at Smithies on the break. They did deservedly double their lead via more farcical defending – albeit with a distinguished finished on the end.

Perch was playing keepy-uppy by the corner flag and gifted possession to the Bees. Full-back Maxime Colin squared to Romaine Sawyers to side-foot into the top corner, an altogether classy finish.

Brentford saw the game out comfortably with Rangers unable to lay a glove on a side whose ultimate ambition will be the top half of the Championship this season.

This was a clumsy performance with a damning result as a team with a clear idea of its goals, limitations and tactics beat a side that has a concept and idea of how to do things, talk a good game but in truth are a long way short of doing anything to trouble the top half of this division.

Home supporters were surprisingly kind given the circumstances but inquests will be held prior to that always optimistic trip to Nottingham Forest next weekend. Queens Park Rangers and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink have it all to do.

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