Press Association Sport Staff
Richard Kone made an emphatic return to form by scoring a hat-trick inside 15 minutes as QPR thrashed Swansea 5-0 at Loftus Road.
Jimmy Dunne netted twice for Rangers, who were four up at half-time, as the Swans – who were top of the Championship until Friday night – suffered their second defeat in a row.
The Welsh side remain second in the table, while QPR’s resounding victory moved them back into the play-off positions in eighth.
QPR were further boosted by the second-half introduction of Karamoko Dembele, who returned 10 months after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
They continue to be hampered by injuries – in-form left-back Boy Kemper hobbled off late on, and influential players like Ilias Chair and last season’s top scorer Rumarn Burrell are among key players currently sidelined.
But it was a magnificent day for Julien Stephan’s side, with Kone putting his early-season problems firmly behind him.
The striker, who has struggled badly for fitness and form – and was yet to score this term – opened his account in the second minute.
Kwame Poku found Paul Smyth, who laid the ball across from the right for Kone to apply a simple finish.
Rangers doubled their lead on nine minutes. After Kealey Adamson won the ball off Melker Widell on the right, Poku delivered an excellent left-footed cross towards Kone, who headed into the far corner of the net.
When the relentless Smyth was brought down by goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux six minutes later, Kone converted the resulting penalty to complete his hat-trick.
Swansea did have their moments in the first half – Adam Idah fired against the bar shortly after they went behind, and keeper Pierce Charles produced a fine save to deny Widell just before Rangers’ third goal.
But QPR were very much on top and they made it 4-0 when Dunne rose to head home Harvey Vale’s corner in first-half stoppage time.
Swansea boss Vitor Matos made a double substitution at half-time in an attempt to improve things, sending Jenson Seelt and Jay Fulton on in place of Stephen Welsh and Elijah Just.
The hosts were comfortable, however, and continued to look threatening, with Jonathan Varane, playing in place of injured R’s playmaker Nicolas Madsen, steering an effort wide.
In the 86th minute, Dunne stuck out a leg to divert Kone’s off-target shot into the net for the Irishman’s second goal and Rangers’ fifth.
The post Swansea suffer heavy defeat by QPR at Loftus Road appeared first on Nation.Cymru.