QPR's late fireworks not quite enough to overturn stubborn Southampton resistance

Light up the sky with Rangers fireworks : Picture by @YTJourno

Championship

QPR (0) 1 Burrell 73

Southampton (0) 2 Robinson 55, Scienza 69

QPR's bid to light up Bonfire Night for their fans with a home win fell short despite a thrilling finale in which they threw the kitchen sink at the visitors after halving a 2-0 deficit.

The introduction off the bench of Kader Dembele so very nearly did the trick as Julien Stephan's men battered the Saints - even if for once they had to do it attacking the school end in the second half.

The hope for Rangers at the outset was that they could cash in on a Saints side reeling from a poor run of results that brought about the sacking of boss Will Still this week. But the Premier League drop-outs looked very together and gave caretaker coach Tonda Eckert a winning start to his presumably temporary tenure.

Skipper Jack Stephens and England international Taylor Harwood-Bellis made life difficult for the R's as they tried to end a run of three home games without a win - the last two being losses. In the end, it was the visitors who extended a good run of results at Loftus Road. They had won on their previous three visits.

The Hoops survived some early pressure and a scare when a Tom Fellows cross to the near post was flicked on and almost touched home at the far post by former Hoops man Ryan Manning - which would not have gone down well with home fans.

Saints felt he was fouled by Paul Smyth as he lunged for the ball but ref James Bell was unmoved.

After that, the first half belonged to Rangers as they attacked the Loft End.

Nico Madsen's blast through a crowd of players almost found its way home, but was blocked on the line by Flynn Downes. Liam Morrison's rasping drive from distance did not clear the crossbar by much.

Rumarn Burrell's thrilling pace troubled the Saints but the striker fluffed a great chance when his control let him down just as he had the goal at his mercy, though he managed to recycle the ball to keep the attack alive. Ilias Chair also got himself into a dangerous position with a typical surge in from the right - his final shot whistling past an upright.

But all that first-half promise was undone early in the second half when Amadou Mbengue was dispossessed and Adam Armstrong fed teenager Jay Robinson for a shot that clipped up off a retreating Mbengue and over a helpless Paul Nardi.

And after Leo Scienza was given too much time to advance deep into the Rangers half, he let fly with a beautiful curling shot from 25 yards that fizzed beyond Nardi's left hand.

That looked like being the knock-out blow but the Hoops rallied well and Burrell gave them a lifeline with a well timed run after being picked out by Jonathan Varane and his assured touch opened up the chance to prod home past an exposed Gavin Bazunu in the Saints goal.

Tails up, Rangers almost drew level as Burrell came close to getting on the end of a low cross from Dembele and the newcomer's extra spark almost saw him score an individual goal with a flashing shot across the face of goal, while one of his crosses was glanced towards the top corner by Sam Field - his header being spectacularly tipped over by the Saints keeper.

Stephan's men kept going and they forced a flurry of corners and free-kicks as Saints retreated more and more and were rushed into panicked clearances. But the sparklers did not quite translate into the rocket that was needed.

Match programme for tonight : Picture by @YTJourno

R's: (4-2-3-1) Nardi - Dunne, Morrison (Field 86), Mbengue, Norrington-Davies - Madsen, Varane (Morgan 86) - Smyth (Dembele 62), Chair, Saito (Kone 70) - Burrell

Saints: (3-4-3) Bazunu - Stephens, Woos, Harwood-Bellis - Fellows (Roerslev 72), Downes, Jander, Manning - Robinson (Azaz 66), Armstrong (Downs 42), Scienza (Aribo 72)