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Jermaine Jenas celebrates his goal. Jonathan Brady/PA Wire/Press Association Images
Great Escape

Premier League: Rs stage comeback, own-goal hands Baggies victory

Harry Redknapp’s men closed the gap on the Reading and Wigan while Swansea suffered defeat.

QPR CAME FROM behind to beat Sunderland 3-1 at Loftus Road on Saturday with Andros Townsend’s stunning strike setting the West London outfit on the way to a precious three points.

It looked set to be another long afternoon for QPR when Steven Fletcher put Sunderland in front 20 minutes in, but Loic Remy took advantage of a lucky break of the ball to equalise 10 minutes later.

Townsend, who is on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, then put the home side in front 20 minutes from the end with a brilliant left-footed volley from 25 yards that dipped into Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet’s top right-hand corner.

It was Townsend’s first Premier League goal, and there was more to come for the hosts as Jermaine Jenas volleyed home in the final minute to wrap up the points.

This was just their second home win of the campaign but, following on from their 2-1 victory at Southampton last weekend, QPR appear to be finding some consistency in the nick of time.

However, they remain bottom of the table and are still four points from safety after Aston Villa’s victory at Reading.

After Mignolet had punched away a QPR set-piece delivery, Sunderland broke quickly, with Stephane Sessegnon crossing from the right to the back post, where Adam Johnson took the ball down and drove back across goal for Fletcher to tap in.

QPR did not let their heads go down after that and were back level on the half-hour mark thanks to a goal that was a combination of luck and good finishing.

A Townsend shot came off the legs of John O’Shea into the path of Remy, who slotted expertly past Mignolet for his third goal in five games since moving to English football.

The all-important second goal did  arrived past the midway point in the second half, but it was worth the wait.

After Sunderland failed to fully clear their lines, Townsend chested the ball down and beat Mignolet to open his account in the top flight.

Jenas then made sure of the win in the 90th minute with a volley that was also impressively executed.

Romelu Lukaku after scoring West Brom’s first. Credit: John Walton/PA Wire/Press Association Images

SWANSEA WERE LEFT ruing their misfortune as a slapstick Jonathan de Guzman own goal saw them beaten 2-1 at West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.

Luke Moore put Swansea ahead against his former club in the first half, only for the hosts to level through Romelu Lukaku’s 13th goal of the season.

On-loan Chelsea striker Lukaku had a penalty saved early in the second half, but de Guzman’s unfortunate own goal handed West Brom victory.

Michael Laudrup’s Swansea thought they had snatched a share of the spoils at the death, but substitute Roland Lamah’s goal was ruled out for an apparently non-existent offside.

It was only Swansea’s third defeat in 12 league games and left the League Cup winners in ninth place in the table, while West Brom climbed above both Swansea and Liverpool to seventh.

- © AFP, 2013

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