Tykes Edged Out As QPR March On

QUEENS Park Rangers maintained a good run of recent form by defeating Barnsley in an archetypical Championship affair.

Both teams defended with a death wish at times but attacked with plenty of intent, making for an interesting end to end spectacle with the occasional car crash along the way.

Barnsley in truth could have been out of sight in the first half – Josh Scowen and Alex Mowatt with dangerous strikes from distance, Adam Armstrong seeing an effort deflected wide and Marley Watkins bringing the best from Jake Bidwell to clear off his own goal-line.

Fitting then that Rangers should take the lead early in the game with a Luke Freeman centre bouncing in off the unsuspecting shin of Idrissa Sylla.

Tom Bradshaw came on at half time for the profligate Tykes but Rangers were in the ascendency for good portions of the second period.

While this report may seem in jest at some of the errors on display, Rangers in fact put on one of the brighter attacking performances this season. A million miles away from the public game of chess that Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink inflicted on supporters week in-week out.

It was less than perfect from Rangers point of view but it was entertainment nonetheless. Not least when Pawel Wszolek turned his defender inside out for the umpteenth time before rifling a cross that was too hot to handle for Angus MacDonald who put past an unsuspecting goalkeeper.

Barnsley did have a deserved goal back into the encounter when a mistake from Grant Hall saw Bradshaw nip in and round Smithies to halve the arrears – but despite a late flurry of attacking intent, the Tykes were left to rue a glut of first half misses.

Both teams look set to be firmly entrenched in mid-table come the end of the season.