QPR 2-1 Derby: Goals from Grant Hall and substitute Ilias Chair

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QPR 2-1 Derby: Goals from Grant Hall and substitute Ilias Chair help sink Rams as Hoops climb into top half of Championship

Two mid-table teams battled it out as they looked to climb the Championship
Grant Hall opened the scoring for QPR, but Martyn Waghorn struck for Derby
Ilias Chair restored QPR’s lead after coming on as a second half substitute

London has not been the happiest place for Derby to visit this season and a Wayne Rooney error compounded their travel sickness against Queens Park Rangers.

Derby had lost all three of their league games in the capital before Tuesday’s match. When they fell behind to a super strike from Grant Hall in the 34th minute – the QPR captain crashing a shot in off the crossbar – it looked set to become four.

Rooney assisted to the equaliser when Martyn Waghorn headed in his corner but he gave the ball away for QPR’s winner from substitute Ilias Chair in the second half.

Grant Hall of QPR celebrates after scoring the goal which put his team 1-0 up against Derby

Derby’s Martyn Waghorn wheels away after equalising not long before the half time whistle

Wayne Rooney reacts in frustration after watching his side go 1-0 down to QPR on Tuesday

QPR 4-2-3-1: Kelly, Kane, Hall, Barbet, Manning, Ball, Cameron, Osayi-Samuel, Eze, Pugh (Chair 73), Hugill (Clarke 62)

Subs not used: Lumley, Wallace, Amos, Oteh, Masterson

Goals: Hall 34, Chair 75

Yellows: Kane, Barbet, Eze

Derby 4-2-3-1: Hamer, Lowe, Clarke, Davies (Bogle 71), Wisdom, Shinnie (Whittaker 79), Bird, Lawrence, Rooney, Waghorn, Marriott (Martin 72)

Subs not used: Forsyth, Roos, Knight, Malone

Goals: Waghorn 43

Yellows: Waghorn

It was a cruel twist of fate for Rooney. In the first half he sparked a tepid opening into life when, in the 16th minute, he received the ball on the left flank and quickly zipped a smart low pass into the onrushing Tom Lawrence. It prompted Ryan Manning, QPR’s last man, to try and prod the ball out for a corner but instead, he nearly lobbed his goalkeeper, Liam Kelly, in spectacular fashion.

QPR, meanwhile, were playing with more intent and were unlucky when Ebere Eze shot straight at Ben Hamer from the edge of the area before Yoann Barbet curled a free-kick narrowly wide.

As the hosts cemented their foothold in the game, Rooney dropped deeper in an attempt to connect Derby’s play between defence and the midfield. There were numerous occasions where defenders Matthew Clarke and Curtis Davies were pressed by QPR’s attack when they received the ball from a goal kick. At times, Hamer’s passing from the back did not help.

Waghorn celebrates with his team-mate as he gets Derby back into the Championship match

Wayne Rooney of Derby chases down Ryan Manning of QPR during the Championship game

But there was nothing Hamer or Rooney could have done about the opener. Dominic Ball’s cross from the left bounced off of Clarke and Hall reacted rapidly, snapping a fierce shot in off the underside of the bar.

To their credit, Derby were not deterred and snatched an equaliser less than 10 minutes later. Rooney sent over an inviting corner into the area and Waghorn peeled off his marker and nodded the ball home via the far post. Rooney has now been involved in six goals at Derby – three goals himself and three assists – since his debut back in January.

But unfortunately for the Rams captain he also had a hand in QPR’s winner, too.

QPR’s Dominic Ball and Derby County’s Max Lowe battle for the ball during the second half

Ilias Chair runs towards the fans to celebrate after scoring moments after being subbed on

In the 75th minute, his misplaced pass was pounced upon by Eze and he quickly threaded it into the path of substitute Ilias Chair, who had only been on the pitch for two minutes.

It did not show. He rifled a powerful shot beyond the reach of Derby goalkeeper Hamer and after the initial jubilation, taunts of ‘Rooney’ echoed out around the stadium from the home supporters.

When Rooney then dragged a free-kick wide in the closing minutes, the chants erupted again. Rooney had, overall, played well for Derby on the night but such a costly error meant it was very much an evening for him to forget.