Joey Barton says the team spirit at QPR is giving them a chance of beating the drop
Saturday 4 April 2015 20:31, UK
Captain Joey Barton says QPR have a great chance of avoiding relegation if they can maintain the level of performance they produced at West Brom on Saturday.
The R’s began the day four points from Premier League safety but ended it just a point behind Sunderland, after romping to a 4-1 victory at The Hawthorns.
Eduardo Vargas, Charlie Austin and Bobby Zamora put QPR 3-0 up at half-time and they then weathered a series of second-half attacks from a much-improved West Brom side to claim the three points.
Barton said: “A lot of people have written us off but there is a tremendous amount of spirit within the group.
“We have got an awful lot of work to do, but performances and team spirit like that today gives us a hell of a chance.
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“West Brom have been exceptional at home under Tony Pulis and it is not an easy place for anyone to come.
“Tony has come in and got them really well organised, and got them in a comfortable league position, and they have been very difficult to beat here, so the lads will take a lot of spirit from this.
Today we took our chances and hopefully that will be a springboard for us to go on and put a run together, and make it difficult for teams in and around the relegation zone.
“We put a fantastic performance in against Everton at home (a 2-1 loss two weeks ago), the lads have been putting great shifts in.
“You can’t fault anyone, we just haven’t got the rub of the green that you need.
“But today we took our chances and hopefully that will be a springboard for us to go on and put a run together, and make it difficult for teams in and around the relegation zone.”
Zamora’s goal was an absolutely sensational effort, while Barton himself popped up with the fourth, deep into stoppage-time.
He added: “It has been a long old wait to get a goal this season! I have hit bars and had great saves from 'keepers.
“It doesn’t matter who scores but that was some finish from Bobby today. A few of us thought it was a cross but he is claiming it!”
Zamora himself said: “Delighted to get on the scoresheet and what a great, battling performance from us. The second half was tough.
“Villa have lost, Leicester have won, so it is tight down there. We have just got to keep doing our job and there is a big game on Tuesday night against Villa.”
Charlie Austin was full of praise for his strike partner but was keen to emphasise the importance of Tuesday's game with fellow strugglers Aston Villa at Loftus Road.
"It was a great finish from Bob and it just shows what he is capable of," Austin said. "To be honest, with the performances he has put in this season he got what he deserved.
"Confidence is sky high, but we have a massive game on Tuesday night and if we don’t get anything from that then today’s performance will be a downer."
