Armstrong’s return ends Rangers’ run of good form

ADAM Armstrong scored twice on his return from injury to fire Blackburn to a 3-1 win over QPR and end their three-game winless streak.

A sore hamstring ruled the striker out of the previous Middlesbrough stalemate but he proved the difference in a game in which both sides had their moments.

Ben Brereton’s smart finish – his first at Ewood Park this season – put the hosts ahead just after the break, but QPR hit back from the penalty spot through Lyndon Dykes.

It was hard to tell which way the game would go at that point, but Armstrong’s composed 73rd-minute finish put Rovers ahead and he tapped in his 11th league goal of the season deep into stoppage time to secure the points and become the Championship’s top scorer outright.

Blackburn are up to 12th after the result, which ended QPR’s two-game winning run. Tony Mowbray welcomed back goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski and Armstrong, while the R’s were without Bright Osayi-Samuel so Dominic Ball came in.

The hosts dominated the first half but Seny Dieng kept them at bay. He denied Scott Wharton a goal on his first Championship start since August 2016 on the half hour with the best of the lot, flinging himself to his left to flick the defender’s downward header around the post.

He then thwarted Armstrong twice in quick succession, first by diving to his left to palm away after the striker had created space, and then by standing tall to repel his fierce effort.

Blackburn were fortunate not to be behind just after the restart, though, as Ilias Chair’s low cross found the onrushing Todd Kane and he hammered a shot against the outside of the post.

But Rovers got the goal they deserved in the 50th minute when John Buckley’s cross was headed across the box by Darragh Lenihan towards Brereton who did well to adjust before firing beyond Dieng.

The visitors were back in it from the spot in the 61st minute. Kaminski initially clawed away Yoann Barbet’s far-post header, although the R’s thought it had crossed the line, but in the ensuing panic to clear, the keeper was adjudged to have fouled Rob Dickie. Dykes duly stepped up to blast the ball into the corner.

Kaminski brilliantly tipped Chris Willock’s shot over shortly after and Rovers made it count 17 minutes from time when Harvey Elliott played Armstrong in and he clinically tucked the ball beyond Dieng.

Armstrong made the points safe in time added on by surging clear and though Dieng saved his initial effort, the striker tapped in the rebound.