Yang Min-Hyeok struck in stoppage time to seal QPR’s 3-1 victory at Oxford and a first win in eight games as they took a massive step towards Sky Bet Championship safety.
Ronnie Edwards gave Marti Cifuentes’ team a seventh-minute lead by heading in Nicolas Madsen’s corner from close range at the near post.
Three minutes before the break the visitors made it two when Jamie Cumming saved Sam Field’s header and the ball ricocheted into the net off Ole Romeny.
Sub Stan Mills pulled one back for Oxford in the 62nd minute – barely 60 seconds after coming on – as he headed home Siriki Dembele’s left-wing cross.
And it was Dembele’s brother, Kader, who set up Min-Hyeok on a fast break down the left, the South Korean finishing with a left-foot shot beyond Cumming to seal victory.
The result is a big blow to Oxford’s hopes of beating the drop and they remain just three points above the relegation places.
Oxford boss Gary Rowett named an unchanged team after the shock 1-0 win over Sheffield United last Saturday, while Rangers head coach Cifuentes gave a debut up front to Australian teenager Daniel Bennie, who normally plays on the wing.
The visitors registered the first effort on goal, Jonathan Varane’s long-range shot bouncing just in front of Cumming as he saved on his knees.
Edwards’ opener a few minutes later had the Hoops fans in full voice, and Kenneth Paal was close to adding a second as Cumming just managed to stretch to the right to save his low shot.
The hosts’ disappointing start became even worse when defender Ciaran Brown had to go off injured following a crunching block tackle.
The home side took a while to adjust and to create anything but in the 28th minute it took a spectacular save to his right by Paul Nardi to keep out Cameron Brannagan’s deflected volley at a corner.
Corners seemed to be the best route to scoring, as seven minutes before the break QPR’s Jimmy Dunne volleyed over the bar when he escaped his marker from a flag kick.
Poor defensive play led to Oxford conceding the second goal and only Ben Nelson’s block stopped Paal getting in a shot from a good position as the visitors started the second half brightly.
As Oxford pressed hard for an equaliser after Mills had given them hope, Nardi saved a 25-yard drive from Brannagan with his body.
But Rangers held out then snatched a third goal and now look within touching distance of securing another season at this level.
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