Marti time as Rs get their rewards

MARTI CIFUENTES praised his QPR players for refusing to give up in an eight-game winless streak after his side raised hopes of avoiding relegation with a deserved derby victory.

Ilias Chair and Sinclair Armstrong grabbed the goals in a game that turned feisty late on when Hoops defender Reggie Cannon was hit on the head by a bottle thrown by Millwall fans.

Cannon was thankfully unhurt when struck while lying injured after a goalline clearance to deny Billy Mitchell – one of only two shots from woeful Millwall.

Victory lifts the Rs to within three points of Huddersfield, who they face next weekend.

Cifuentes said: “I never had a feeling, even in the worst games we played, that the guys were giving up and accepting defeat.

“We knew we needed the clinical touch to score the chances. Today we did and once we got the lead things got easier.”

Chair’s opener came in the 27th minute when he bundled in Chris Willock’s lethal cross at the far post.

Armstrong then bagged his first league goal since August when he tapped into an empty net after Matija Sarkic had spilled Jack Colback’s low drive on 85 minutes.

“Pretty much in every department we weren’t good enough,” said Millwall manager Joe Edwards.

“It’s incredibly frustrating, particularly in a game like this.

“The players are well aware of what this game means to our fans.”

He added: “If things are being thrown onto the pitch in the direction of players it’s something we don’t and can’t condone.”

QPR: Begovic 6; Cannon 7, Cook 7, Clarke-salter 7, Paal 7; Colback 7, Field 7; Willock 8 (Adomah (84) 5), Dykes 7, Chair 8 (Larkeche (90) 5); Armstrong 7 (Dixon-bonner (89) 5) MILLWALL: Sarkic 5; Mcnamara 6, Harding 5, Cooper 6; Norton-cuffy 5 (Tanganga (68) 5), Honeyman 6, Mitchell 6, Bryan 6 (Wallace (67) 5); Watmore 5, Flemming 5; Nisbet 5 (Longman (56) 5) STAR MAN: Chris Willock – A constant outlet whose moment of class delivered the opening goal. REF: Lewis Smith 7