By at the Riverside Stadium VITAL STATS

QPR continued their climb as they leapfrogged free-falling Middlesbrough in the table.

Rob Dickie’s thunderbolt and Lee Wallace’s quickfire second had Rangers cruising before Yannick Bolasie’s header reduced the deficit.

And Boro stepped up the pressure after Rangers had goalkeeper Seny Dieng sent off for bringing down Duncan Watmore – but the visitors held on for the victory.

Hoops boss Mark Warburton revealed that Dieng also suffered a broken nose on an eventful afternoon for the Senegalese keeper.

Sub keeper Joe Lumley then made two vital stops of his own to secure victory. Warburton said: “We got two goals up then gave away a sloppy goal, but the second half was a completely different dynamic because of the sending-off.”

On the quarter-hour, centre-back Dickie delivered a bolt from the blue with a spectacular 30-yard strike.

Then, Lyndon Dykes pulled one back from the right for skipper Wallace to head in his first QPR league goal.

But Boro replied on 28 minutes when Neeskens Kebano whipped over a rightwing cross that Bolasie met with a bullet header.

Injury-hit Boro’s play-off hopes have disintegrated after picking up only one point from five games.

And boss Neil Warnock said: “I got a few answers today. I think I know now who I’ve got to get out and who to keep.

“One or two don’t want to be here so I’m hoping we can help them.” MIDDLESBROUGH: Archer 6; Fisher 6 (Johnson 56, 5), Hall 6, McNair 6, Bola 6; Spence 5 (Coulson 63, 5), Howson 6, Saville 7; Watmore 8, Kebano 6, Bolasie 7 (Assombalonga 82).

Unused subs: Bettinelli, Akpom, Hackney, Fletcher, Coburn, Malley. QPR: Dieng 6; Kakay 5, Dickie 7, Barbet 6; Adomah 6 (Ball 74, 5), Thomas 5 (Lumley 60, 7), Johansen 6, Wallace 6; Chair 6 (DukeMcKenna 86); Willock 6 (Field 74, 5), Dykes 6.

Unused subs: Kane, Hamalainen, Bettache, Bonne, Kelman. MAN OF THE MATCH: Duncan Watmore. Always in the thick of the action and unlucky not to score.

REFEREE: Matt Donohue 6.