QPR dent Preston's promotion hopes

QPR 1 Preston 0

Dexter Blackstock’s stunning volley handed relegation-threatened QPR three vital points and put a huge dent in Preston’s automatic promotion hopes.

The recalled Blackstock’s 51st-minute strike lifted Rangers four points above the Coca-Cola Championship drop zone, and was Preston’s second defeat in five days against a club in the league’s bottom four.

The outcome could have been different had Preston – who remain six points adrift of second-placed Birmingham – taken an early lead.

But David Nugent, who scored against Andorra on his England debut last week, wasted a terrific chance to put the visitors in front after only 53 seconds.

Matthew Hill’s cross from the left picked out the unmarked striker, who somehow volleyed wide of the left post from eight yards.

Three minutes later, the home team went close with a volley of their own, Blackstock firing over the crossbar after Marc Nygaard had headed the ball into his path.

Former Preston player Gareth Ainsworth headed Lee Cook’s right-wing corner wide in the ninth minute, and seven minutes later Blackstock was off target once more, this time with a near-post header after Michael Mancienne had hooked the ball into the danger zone.

At the other end, Lee Camp parried Matt Hill’s header from Graham Alexander’s raking ball from the right in the 27th minute, and three minutes later the on-loan QPR goalkeeper managed to catch Damion Stewart’s weak back-header just before Nugent could pounce.

In the 36th minute, Ainsworth’s drilled effort from the right corner of the penalty area was deflected and fell kindly for Nygaard, who could not react quickly enough and managed only to steer the ball over from six yards.

Cook – Rangers’ most dangerous player – sustained an injury in the first half, and did not reappear after the interval, with Rohan Ricketts replacing him and Pat Kanyuka also coming on for Mancienne.

But Rangers shrugged off the loss of Cook by taking the lead in thrilling fashion in the 51st minute.

Blackstock controlled an excellent long pass from Nygaard on his chest before cracking a brilliant left-foot volley past Andy Lonergan from 22 yards for his 11th goal of the campaign.

Rangers were in danger of conceding a quick equaliser when Danny Cullip brought down the recalled Michael Ricketts on the edge of the penalty area shortly afterwards, but Ricketts was off target with the free-kick and the home fans roared their relief.

Nygaard later wasted a good chance to make the game safe for the home side, while in the 80th minute Rangers ’keeper Camp saved superbly from substitute Danny Dichio’s flicked header.

But Preston could not make their late pressure tell and needed Lonergan to deny the hosts a second goal in stoppage-time when he saved Blackstock’s effort from substitute Jimmy Smith’s low cross.