DYKES DIGS OWLS INTO DEEPER HOLE
SHEFFIELD Wednesday are staring down the barrel of relegation after being hammered by impressive QPR.
Lyndon Dykes scored twice as Wednesday failed miserably to build on their stunning 5-0 thrashing of Cardiff – and to make matters worse for the Yorkshire side, fellow strugglers Birmingham beat Stoke.
It leaves Wednesday seven points adrift of safety with just six matches left.
Boss Darren Moore was not at the game as he is self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19. He faces a mammoth task to prevent the club slipping into League One.
Asked if the players still feel they can stay up, assistant boss Jamie Smith said: “Yes. We’ve got no choice. We’ll fight for all 18 points left available. That’s our mentality.
“It is a big blow, but we don’t get too high with wins or too low with losses. We’ll just keep fighting and going for every point we can.”
Dykes, playing in the absence of the suspended Charlie Austin, put QPR ahead after 27 minutes.
Yoann Barbet sent in a superb cross from the left and Dykes guided a header into the far corner.
Josh Windass hauled Wednesday level with a cool finish three minutes later. Adam Reach was sent down the left by Barry Bannan’s pass and played the ball in to Windass, who drifted between Rangers defenders Jordy de Wijs and Barbet to fire home.
But a mistake by keeper Joe Wildsmith resulted in QPR regaining the lead five minutes into the second half.
Stefan Johansen’s 25-yard effort took a deflection off Owls defender Osaze Urhoghide which left Wildsmith flat-footed and he allowed the ball to squirm past him and into the net.
There was no way back for the visitors once Dykes scored again on the hour. Rob Dickie sent in a looping cross from the right and Willock headed the ball towards Dykes, who nodded in from close range.
Dykes was also involved in his team’s fourth goal, scored by Chris Willock in stoppage time. He chested the ball off to George Thomas, who squared it for Willock to slot home.
Dykes’ first-half opener came after the hosts had dominated the early stages, with De Wijs heading over from a cross by Willock, who soon afterwards had a shot saved by Wildsmith.
But Wildsmith’s error was the hammer blow for Wednesday, although at 3-1 they were unfortunate not to pull one back or get a penalty when Elias Kachunga seemed certain to head in from close range, but was denied by a challenge from Osman Kakay, who used his hand to clear.
QPR manager Mark Warburton praised striker Dykes, who has now scored four goals in as many appearances.
Prior to that the Scotland international, signed from
Livingston last summer, had scored just once from open play for the R’s.
“Lyndon deserves so much credit. He’s worked hard,” Warburton said. “He had that barren spell, but he’s come through that and he’s never stopped working.
“My only criticism: go and get your hat-trick. Be a bit more selfish. But he deserves enormous credit.”