Millwall extended their impressive away run and climbed into the Championship play-off places with a 2-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, ending the hosts' six-match unbeaten streak and handing Julien Stephan his first home defeat as Rangers' head coach. First-half goals from Femi Azeez and Mihailo Ivanovic proved enough for Alex Neil's side, despite a late strike from substitute Rumarn Burrell that set up a tense finale.
For long spells it did not feel like an away win in the making. QPR, the form team coming into the game, dominated the early exchanges, racking up chances and territory as debutant goalkeeper Max Crocombe and the Millwall back line came under sustained pressure. Yet the visitors were far more ruthless, scoring from two of their few efforts on target while Rangers let a succession of opportunities slip away.
The afternoon was also overshadowed by a serious-looking knee injury to former QPR midfielder Massimo Luongo, who spent four years with the R's and was carried off on a stretcher after 14 minutes on his return to west London. Afterward Stephan spoke of efficiency as the defining difference, noting that his side took 20 shots and touched the ball 46 times in the Millwall penalty area, while Neil admitted his team had not played particularly well but praised their resilience and cutting edge on the road.
Rangers Fly Out of the Blocks but Fail to Strike