ADAM NAGY scored Bristol City’s winner as they came from behind to beat QPR 2-1 despite being on the back foot for most of the match, as Ireland international Callum O’Dowda produced an influential performance.
Rob Dickie’s first goal for Rangers – a header from Chris Willock’s left-wing cross – put the hosts ahead before Nahki Wells equalised against the run of play shortly before the break.
And Nagy’s goal five minutes into the second half took his side up to third in the Sky Bet Championship table.
Both teams had chances prior to Dickie’s 11th-minute goal.
The best of them fell to Nagy, who shot wide after a one-two with Chris Martin left the Hungarian through on goal.
At the other end, Lyndon Dykes was unable to get a decisive header to Ilias Chair’s right-wing cross.
And Bright Osayi-Samuel, who gave Jay Dasilva a torrid time before the left-back was replaced at half-time, was denied by keeper Daniel Bentley after racing onto Yoann Barbet’s ball over the top.
But Bentley couldn’t rescue the visitors when Dickie held off City captain Tomas Kalas to nod home the opener.
Rangers then took complete control. Tom Carroll’s goal-bound shot struck Nagy, who gave the ball away following the resulting corner, enabling Dickie to tee up Willock, whose shot was cleared off the line by Robins debutant Adrian Mariappa.
Chair fired narrowly wide as Rangers continued to dominate without managing to score an all-important second goal.
Having been overrun for most of the first half, the Robins levelled five minutes before the interval.
Wells, who had two loan spells with QPR, got in front of Lee Wallace to score from a yard out after O’Dowda’s low cross from the left had deflected off Rangers’ Dominic Ball.
Another low left-wing cross from O’Dowda led to City going ahead.
He pounced on Dickie’s misplaced pass to Carroll and the Irishman’s ball into the box, which was aimed at Wells, ended up falling to Nagy, who coolly slotted past keeper Seny Dieng.
City then found themselves under sustained pressure again but Rangers lacked the fluency they had in the first half and Tommy Rowe, who replaced Dasilva, fared much better against the always dangerous Osayi-Samuel.
Macauley Bonne and Osayi-Samuel missed their best chances to equalise.
Substitute Bonne shot wide from near the edge of the six-yard box before Wells went close to adding a third for City when his late free-kick clipped the post.
And in stoppage time, Osayi-Samuel fired wide of the near post from close range.
Elsewhere, Bournemouth wasted a chance to move into first place in the Championship after Scott Sinclair’s brilliant 40-yard lob helped Preston clinch a 3-2 win.
The Cherries knew a point would have taken them top for at least 24 hours before leaders Norwich return to action against Luton.
But Tom Barkhuizen gave Preston the lead early in the first half at Dean Court before former Celtic winger Sinclair’s memorable strike after the interval.
Patrick Bauer got Preston’s third in the 68th minute, with goals from Junior Stanislas and Sam Surridge unable to stop Bournemouth suffering their first home league defeat this term.
Wayne Rooney suffered more frustration when struggling Derby were denied victory by a stoppage-time goal which earned Coventry a 1-1 draw at Pride Park.
Colin Kazim-Richards’ first goal for Derby looked to have given Rooney victory in his second match as interim manager, but Gustavo Hamer fired home from the edge of the area to give Coventry a deserved point.
It leaves Derby without a home Championship win this season and they stay bottom of the table, four points adrift of safety.
Cauley Woodrow and Callum Styles scored in Barnsley’s 2-1 win at Birmingham, while Cardiff secured consecutive league victories for the first time this season with a 3-0 success against Huddersfield.
Additional reporting by AFP
