Derby County vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.
Pride Park Stadium.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Derby County and QPR at Pride Park as Macauley Bonne scored a late headed winner to pile more pressure on Rams boss Phillip Cocu on Wednesday
Thursday 5 November 2020 09:05, UK
Derby's dreadful home run continued as a late header from Macauley Bonne gave QPR a 1-0 win at Pride Park.
The game looked to be heading for a stalemate until Bonne struck to give Rangers a first away win of the season and extend Derby's winless run at home in the Championship to eight games.
Derby had chances with the lively Wayne Rooney denied by Seny Dieng and the woodwork but Rangers also created openings in an open contest before Bonne increased the pressure on Derby boss Phillip Cocu whose team slipped to second bottom.
Both sides had early chances with Rooney sending Kamil Jozwiak through on the right in the fourth minute for a low shot that Dieng saved with his legs.
David Marshall made an even better save two minutes later to claw away a Lyndon Dykes header after Albert Adomah's cross set the striker up at the back post.
Rangers fashioned another opening in the 21st minute when Todd Kane's pass sent Ilias Chair into the area but a heavy touch allowed Matt Clarke to get across and make a vital block.
The open nature of the game meant there was plenty of space to play in and Jozwiak's clever pass put Rooney in behind Rangers but Dieng did well to turn his low shot behind.
There was a scare for Derby when Marshall was almost caught on the ball by Bright Osayi-Samuel but both goalkeepers were the reason it was goalless at the end of an enterprising first half.
It was the same in the second with Derby going close in the 51st minute when Rooney's shot from just outside the area was deflected against the outside of a post.
Rooney had another shot charged down but Rangers went close when a Tom Carroll free-kick fell to Rob Dickie at the back post but he could not direct his shot on target.
Derby were pouring forward at every opportunity and they had got behind Rangers again in the 74th minute only for Dickie to cut out Jozwiak's dangerous cross.
Rangers responded with Niko Hamalainen going past Nathan Byrne but he could not pick out a red shirt and the visitors had an even better chance in the 81st minute when Kane got in on the right but shot wide.
But Rangers made no mistake in the 88th minute when Dickie won the ball from Jozwiak and as Derby appealed for a foul, his cross was headed in by substitute Bonne.
Derby's Phillip Cocu: "We cannot look at other teams, we have to look at ourselves and win games to get out of the bottom positions. I don't think anybody can be happy at this moment. We all expected more but we are in this position and we have to make sure we get out. It doesn't change any ambition we had and still have but we need to focus now on getting results because we have to make sure the gap doesn't grow on the teams above us.
"It's a hard one to take, football can be tough and I think we experienced it again today. I think slowly we are heading in a positive direction, no wins but we are really close so a home defeat is tough on the players. We definitely need a day to get our heads together, get the energy back in for Saturday."
QPR's Mark Warburton: "I thought we were in complete control first half, we dominated but I thought they came back into the game and we were sloppy and gave the ball away too cheaply. Their attacking quality is very clear but they were committing bodies forward pushing for the victory and leaving gaps behind which we had to try and exploit and thankfully we did that.
"To come here and deliver that performance, keep a clean sheet and get a 1-0 victory is very pleasing. At this early stage of the season, any team that puts a run together, two or three wins in a row and the whole dynamic of the table changes very, very quickly."
