Oxford United 1-3 Queens Park Rangers: QPR improve Championship survival prospects at hosts' expense

Min-Hyeok Yang struck in stoppage time to seal QPR's 3-1 victory at Oxford and a first win in eight games as they took a massive step towards Sky Bet Championship safety.

Ronnie Edwards gave Marti Cifuentes' team a seventh-minute lead by heading in Nicolas Madsen's corner from close range at the near post.

Three minutes before the break the visitors made it two when Jamie Cumming saved Sam Field's header and the ball ricocheted into the net off Ole Romeny.

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Sub Stan Mills pulled one back for Oxford in the 62nd minute - barely 60 seconds after coming on - as he headed home Siriki Dembele's left-wing cross.

And it was Dembele's brother, Kader, who set up Yang on a fast break down the left, the South Korean finishing with a left-foot shot beyond Cumming to seal victory.

The result is a big blow to Oxford's hopes of beating the drop and they remain just three points above the relegation places.

Oxford boss Gary Rowett named an unchanged team after the shock 1-0 win over Sheffield United last Saturday, while Rangers head coach Cifuentes gave a debut up front to Australian teenager Daniel Bennie, who normally plays on the wing.

The visitors registered the first effort on goal, Jonathan Varane's long-range shot bouncing just in front of Cumming as he saved on his knees.

Edwards' opener a few minutes later had the Hoops fans in full voice, and Kenneth Paal was close to adding a second as Cumming just managed to stretch to the right to save his low shot.

The hosts' disappointing start became even worse when defender Ciaran Brown had to go off injured following a crunching block tackle.

The home side took a while to adjust and to create anything but in the 28th minute it took a spectacular save to his right by Paul Nardi to keep out Cameron Brannagan's deflected volley at a corner.

Corners seemed to be the best route to scoring, as seven minutes before the break QPR's Jimmy Dunne volleyed over the bar when he escaped his marker from a flag kick.

Poor defensive play led to Oxford conceding the second goal and only Ben Nelson's block stopped Paal getting in a shot from a good position as the visitors started the second half brightly.

As Oxford pressed hard for an equaliser after Mills had given them hope, Nardi saved a 25-yard drive from Brannagan with his body.

But Rangers held out then snatched a third goal and now look within touching distance of securing another season at this level.

The managers

Oxford's Gary Rowett:

"With the performance that we put in last Saturday against Sheffield United, what you can't then do is put in an abject performance for 30 minutes as we did.

"Not trying to take anything away from QPR but the first two goals we just gave away.

"Maybe they played with the same desperation tonight that we played with last Saturday. But the game meant just as much to both teams and that was the disappointment to me, we didn't show enough energy first half, we didn't go and press with any intensity.

"I thought we just looked leggy and the two goals we gave away in the first half just shouldn't have happened.

"We played like we just didn't have that same spark as last weekend. Sometimes the energy that you put into a Saturday game against the league leaders can take it out of you. But if you're a good team, you have to go again.

"I'm not questioning the players' desire. I'm just saying it looked like a performance where we didn't turn up with the same aggression and the same spirit that we showed last Saturday. And sometimes that gives the opposition a chance.

"But I've seen many, many performances like that over the years where you don't play well for 30 minutes and it's still 0-0, and when you do change things you have an opportunity to swing the momentum of the game.

"But we came in at half-time 2-0 to two soft goals where they haven't had to work hard to score. So it's hugely disappointing."

QPR's Marti Cifuentes:

"It was top character. Everybody contributed. We have been criticised - and sure, everyone is entitled to their opinion - but what those guys have been through this season, it's a rollercoaster in terms of emotional demands.

"And to come here and give this sort of performance, especially in the first half, after what have been a very difficult last four or five games, I think it's brilliant.

"Yan…not only because of the goal, but he gave us a lot of energy and he showed his experience and his quality at the end."

Because of QPR's spate of injuries, Cifuentes gave a debut up front to 18-year-old Australian Daniel Bennie, who normally plays on the wing.

Cifuentes explained: "We were obviously struggling with options and we had to find solutions.

"We thought Oxford could be very direct and they are strong on set-pieces and Bennie has this running capacity and is quite physical too - it was about finding the right balance between defending and attacking them.

"And credit to all the players, I think it worked well.

"It got very tricky and nervy for us in the second half when Oxford scored and that is the way it is for us at the moment at this stage of the season.

"But we were really good in the first half, we almost didn't concede a chance in that first half, and we coped well with their set-pieces - they have been very strong with their throw-ins.

"We spoke at half-time that it was very important for us to start strong in the second half, we tried to push and we had a chance to make it 3-0, and then Sam started to feel dizzy and with 10 men they scored - and then the momentum shifted.

"That was why it was so important that we scored the third goal when we did."

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