Queens Park Rangers vs Coventry City. Sky Bet Championship.
Loftus Road StadiumAttendance16,293.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between QPR and Coventry at Loftus Road as Ellis Simms scored twice in victory for City. Josh Eccles added the other for the Sky Blues.
Saturday 30 September 2023 19:04, UK
Ellis Simms scored his first goals for Coventry as they stormed to a 3-1 victory at QPR.
The Sky Blues netted three times in the space of 12 second-half minutes, with Simms finding the target twice and Josh Eccles getting their other goal in a comprehensive win for Mark Robins' side.
Kenneth Paal scored a consolation in stoppage time for the hosts.
The defeat continued a miserable run at Loftus Road for Rangers, who have won just once at home in almost a year and have lost four of their five matches there so far this season.
They were denied a first-half opener by City goalkeeper Ben Wilson superbly pushing away Lyndon Dykes' glancing header from Paal's cross.
Dykes sent another effort wide before the interval, but the visitors took complete control in the second half.
Striker Simms, signed from Everton during the summer, opened his account to break the deadlock after 56 minutes.
After Osman Kakay's unnecessary foul on Jamie Allen, Jay Dasilva's delivery into the box ricocheted off City's Luis Binks towards Simms, who made the most of his good fortune.
Coventry also had luck on their side for the second goal, scored four minutes later - this time after a double deflection.
Matt Godden's shot struck team-mate Joel Latibeaudiere to inadvertently tee up Eccles, whose shot took a deflection off Kakay to completely wrong-foot keeper Asmir Begovic.
City seemed to ride their luck once again when Rangers were not awarded a penalty, despite Wilson appearing to upend Sinclair Armstrong in the area just after the young striker had been brought on as a substitute.
And there was no way back for QPR after an emphatic finish from Simms made it three after 68 minutes.
Allen played an excellent ball in behind the R's defence and Simms fired into the roof of the net.
Paal reduced the deficit after Armstrong pulled the ball back for the Dutch wing-back, whose goal was his third of the season, making him QPR's top scorer.
Boss Robins will hope this fine win proves to be a turning point for last season's beaten play-off finalists, who have endured a disappointing start to the Championship season.
However, the pressure is on his Rangers counterpart Gareth Ainsworth. Rangers were almost relegated under him last season and were widely tipped to struggle this term, with their home form a major concern.
QPR's Gareth Ainsworth:
"The officiating today, in my opinion, wasn't good enough for the Championship. There was an offside goal and an absolute stonewall penalty.
"I've been in to see the officials and they know (the decisions were wrong). They've almost apologised and that's great, but that doesn't change the result.
"I'm gutted at my lads seeming to collapse. Maybe the offside goal really dented them, but we were then wide open on two counter-attacks for the other two goals.
"But at 2-0, Sinclair's penalty is a stonewaller and if that gets us back in the game then I think we go on and get something."
Coventry's Mark Robins:
"The two goals scored by Ellis were brilliant. He got the first one - and he needed that chance - and connected with it brilliantly.
"His other goal was fantastic. Jamie Allen has guided it in and you can't underestimate the finish.
"The first goal has given him the confidence to finish the second one. If it happens the other way around I don't know if he does it - he's capable, but a bit of doubt creeps in.
"He's been desperate to score and it's taken nine for him to get on the scoresheet, but that will do him the world of good.
"All it is is a bit of confidence and that should give him a load of it. He's going to be a really good player."
