QPR 3-0 MK Dons: Pressure eases on Chris Ramsey

Three goals in the final 20 minutes helped QPR ease the pressure on manager Chris Ramsey after a 3-0 victory over MK Dons at Loftus Road.

With just one win in their last seven Sky Bet Championship matches, Ramsey has come under fire in recent weeks but Jay Emmanuel-Thomas' 70th-minute goal helped to ease the tension inside Loftus Road.

Matt Phillips' emphatic finish and Junior Hoilett's first goal since April settled proceedings to consolidate QPR's top-10 position.

Paul Konchesky had their best chance in a first half as the Hoops dominated, with the full-back bursting into the box and collecting Tjaronn Chery's well-timed pass, but his weak shot beyond Dons goalkeeper David Martin was cleared off the line by Kyle McFadzean.

Martin had earlier kept out efforts from Chery and Emmanuel-Thomas , before Karl Henry - restored to the Rangers side in the absence of the injured Sandro - was just unable to connect with Phillips' low cross.

QPR continued to press after the interval and went close when Grant Hall headed over from Phillips' left-wing corner.

Ramsey, whose continued selection of just one striker has angered many fans, made a change on 57 minutes, replacing Massimo Luongo with another midfielder in Leroy Fer - a substitution which was greeted with a barrage of boos.

Henry, whose form this season has been poor, was also the target of jeers before being substituted and the mood would have darkened further had keeper Rob Green not produced a fine save to deny Simon Church at point-blank range after the forward had spun away from Clint Hill.

It proved to be a crucial moment in the match, because shortly afterwards QPR broke the deadlock when Emmanuel-Thomas scored his third league goal of the season since he was brought in to replace injured top scorer Charlie Austin.

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Nedum Onuoha played the ball into the box and Emmanuel-Thomas eluded two challenges with a lovely piece of control and then a nutmeg before shooting past Martin from close range.

The visitors would have equalised had a stretching Church been able to apply the finishing touch at the far post to Josh Murphy's low cross.

But their hopes of a comeback were then crushed Phillips doubled Rangers' lead with 13 minutes remaining, gathering Daniel Tozser's chip and then cutting inside Murphy before firing into the far corner of the net.

And Hoilett added the third in the 88th minute, hooking the ball over his shoulder from a couple of yards out after Tozser's corner had been headed on by Hill.

Martin prevented a fourth Rangers goal by saving with his legs to deny Fer in injury time.

QPR boss Chris Ramsey: 

"I look at the job Karl [Henry] does and he does a lot of unseen work. There are players who look pretty and open things up and generally get the plaudits, but you also need players like him who are prepared to run and tackle. We were on top for most of the game but didn't take all our chances and when you play against a team that pass the ball like MK Dons you know there's always a chance of them getting in behind you. We're still in the gelling process and that's something people have to realise. But we will get it right."

MK Dons boss Karl Robinson:

"We needed to be more ruthless with our finishing and our defending. We switched off in the last 20 minutes and it cost us the game. I think sometimes we think we can switch off in games if things are going quite well for us, and we can't do that. But we'll stick together and will move forward. We're punching above our weight and our players are having to constantly work hard, which people understand. QPR didn't really play any football, and at no stage of that game were we outplayed."