QPR safe, but Leeds stumble
QPR secured their Championship survival in style and dealt Leeds’ automatic promotion hopes a major blow with a thumping 4-0 victory at Loftus Road.
Goals from Ilias
Chair, Lucas Andersen, Lyndon Dykes and
Sam Field sparked a staying-up celebration in west London, as well as a promotion party in Leicester, with the Foxes now guaranteed an immediate return to the Premier League.
But Leeds will find themselves outside the top two if third-placed Ipswich beat Hull tonight, or Coventry win their game in hand.
Should the Tractor Boys win both, they will be promoted, with Leeds consigned to the play-offs.
For Rangers, a tough season climaxed in unusually stress-free fashion. The Hoops are safe with a game to spare.
They made a dream start by taking the lead in the ninth minute through Chair. The Morocco winger ran at the defence, cutting inside before unleashing his shot from 20 yards.
Leeds had conceded the opener at Middlesbrough on Monday night but equalised quickly on their way to a 4-3 win.
They almost repeated the trick when Joel
Piroe found space on the edge of the box but his low shot was palmed clear by Asmir Begovic.
Instead Rangers doubled their advantage in the 22nd minute when Chris Willock’s attempted cross was blocked by the arm of Junior Firpo.
Perfect
The ball came back to the winger, who laid it off to Andersen with the Danish midfielder picking the perfect moment to score his first Rangers goal, sidestepping two half-hearted challenges before curling into the corner from 15 yards.
Crysencio Summerville’s far-post volley was kept out by a fine save from Begovic and Georginio Rutter should have at least hit the target from Sam Byram’s cross but glanced wide.
But Rangers stretched their lead in the 73rd minute when Dykes headed in Chair’s corner at the near post to make it 3-0.
And Leeds’ misery was compounded five minutes from time when Field got his head to Chair’s free-kick to score the fourth.