Barnsley 3-2 QPR: Match Report

17 August 2016 21:34

Josh Scowen gives Barnsley late win against QPR

Josh Scowen crashed home a 90th-minute winner as Barnsley came from behind to beat QPR 3-2 and end the visitors' winning run in the Sky Bet Championship.

Marley Watkins gave the Reds an early lead, only for QPR to sneak ahead after the break via way of two penalties, converted by Tjaronn Chery and Sebastian Polter.

A trademark Conor Hourihane free-kick drew Barnsley level and then Scowen scored the winner, with QPR's misery completed by Grant Ward seeing red deep into injury-time.

Following their win over Derby, Barnsley boss Paul Heckingbottom named the same side, while recent signing Yeni Ngbakoto was handed a first league start by QPR in their only change.

Barnsley made a superb start, taking a fourth-minute lead through Watkins. Ryan Kent's 20-yard strike was parried behind by Hoops goalkeeper Alex Smithies for a corner and from the resultant set-piece, Alfie Mawson headed the ball across the box for Watkins to nod home from three yards out.

The Reds were knocking the ball. around with plenty of confidence and almost doubled their lead after a quarter of an hour, but Scowen's glancing header from Hourihane's free-kick bounced just wide.

Barnsley's domination waivered a little and they offered QPR a glimmer of hope when Hourihane scythed down Ngbakoto 25 yards out, for which he was booked. Up stepped Chery to curl a glorious effort goalwards, with the crossbar coming to goalkeeper Adam Davies' rescue, with the home stopper beaten.

All Barnsley's impressive first-half endeavour was undone within 30 seconds of the restart as Roberts was penalised for a push on Polter as he burst into the box, and Chery despatched the spot-kick to haul the Londoners level.

Unbowed, Barnsley hit back and after James Bree's long throw-in caused panic in the Rangers box, the ball fell to Kent, whose thunderous effort went inches over the bar.

Smithies had to dive full length to keep out a swirling Kent strike as the game continued to be played at a frenetic pace.

After 74 minutes, though, Barnsley found themselves chasing the game when Bree clipped the heels of Ngbakoto inside the box, with referee Darren Bond awarding the Hoops a second penalty. This time, Polter took over spot-kick duties from Chery and fired into the bottom corner to give Rangers an undeserved lead.

Justice was served a couple of minutes later, though, as Barnsley drew level thanks to a brilliant Hourihane free-kick - awarded for a foul on the home captain - which flew into the top corner past the despairing dive of Smithies.

Barnsley snatched the winner in injury-time as sub Stefan Payne nodded down for Scowen to smash home a shot from six yards out.

Ward was then dismissed for collecting a second yellow for a blatant tug on Payne.


Source: PA