QPR 3 (Leigertwood 8; Buzsaky 15, 39)
BARNSLEY 0
QUEENS Park Rangers were clinical as little Hungarian Akos Buzsaky inspired the home side to a three goal lead at the break although it was harsh on Barnsley who were not that bad during the opening 40 minutes or so.
Despite an impressive performance in midweek against Burnley, Reds boss Mark Robins rang the changes at Loftus Road with Nathan Doyle, Ryan Shotton, Carl Dickinson and Andy Gray all coming into the starting eleven. Julian Gray and Rob Kozluk dropped to the bench while injury kept out Darren Moore and Jon Macken.
Barnsley were on the back foot inside the first two minutes when Wayne Routledge managed to dig out a cross from the right that skipped off Stephen Foster's head and dropped nicely for Akos Buzsaky at the back post. The midfielder smashed the ball well but Shotton was in the right place to make a telling block.
The Reds responded well and Iain Hume's third minute corner caused absolute chaos in the Rangers area. The ball bounced around and eventually fell to Anderson but the Brazilian could not find the top corner and blazed high over.
Barnsley went even closer two minutes later as Anderson's first time pass sent Hume in behind the QPR defence. The striker hit his shot well but the ball just curled wide of the far post with Radek Cerny at full stretch.
QPR grabbed the lead on eight minutes but the Reds really only have themselves to blame after allowing Mikele Leigertwood to run half the length of the field and smack a low drive past David Preece from the edge of the area.
Things went from bad to worse on 15 minutes when Ben Watson picked out a fine pass to split the Reds defence wide, wide open and send Buzsaky through on goal. Buzsaky did not need a second invitation to plant a deflected shot past Preece and into the far corner.
Rangers were rampant and almost had a third on 18 minutes as again Watson picked open the new-look Barnsley defence to put Routledge through and the winger beat Preece from a tight angle only for his effort to cannon away off the foot of the far post.
Barnsley slowly found their feet and Hugo Colace saw a shot cannon away for a corner on 19 minutes after Rangers had failed to deal with Shotton's long throw.
Good play by Doyle then caught Rangers flat-footed on 23 minutes as he found Anderson on the edge of the box but the midfielder was denied a goal as Cerny dove to grab his curling effort. Butterfield then lashed a volley high over the bar moments later as the Reds enjoyed their best spell of the game in QPR territory. It was the right reaction from the visitors.
Barnsley were still looking shaky on the counter attack and good play by Rowan Vine and Jay Simpson gave Martin Rowlands the chance to shoot on 28 minutes but the ball crashed in the Colace and away. Buzsaky then hammered one a foot or so over the top from 22 yards seconds later.
The Reds finally got in behind QPR on the half hour as Jacob Butterfield never gave the ball up and ended up at the byline after Gary Borrowdale had missed his clearance. Butterfield put a goal on a plate for Andy Gray but Damion Stewart was in the right place to put the striker off and the chance went begging.
Adam Hammill then had Cerny scrambling as he curled one from 25 yards on 31 minutes but his effort just flew wide of the post.
Rangers forced to play again on 33 minutes as Watson put Barnsley under pressure from Watson's corner. Stewart saw a header deflect over the top of Preece's goal.
It was a case of one tackle, one booking for Shotton on 36 minutes as the on loan defender went in hard on Leigertwood. It was a nothing tackle but referee Karl Evans was quick to show a yellow card.
Barnsley crafted another fine chance on 38 minutes as Doyle's long ball gave Gray something to attack in the area. Gray knocked the ball down to Hume, who's quick feet found Anderson but Borrowdale appeared from nowhere to stop the Brazilian rolling a shot past Cerny.
QPR ended Barnsley's brave fight in spectacular fashion just moments later. If the Reds' defence had been at fault for the opening goals, there was nothing they could have done about Buzsaky's audacious strike from 35 yards which flew over Preece and into the top corner.
Anderson picked up a booking practically from the restart while Rowan Vine almost added a fourth on 42 minutes when he tricked his way into the area before bringing a fine one-handed save from Preece.
QPR: Cerny, Stewart, Leigertwood, Routledge, Vine, Buzsaky, Gorkss, Rowlands, Watson, Simpson, Borrowdale.
Subs: Heaton, Ramage, Mahon, Pellicori, Faurlin, Ephraim, Taarabt.
BARNSLEY: Preece, Doyle, Foster, Shotton, Dickinson, Anderson, Colace, Butterfield, Hammill, Hume, A. Gray.
Subs: Rusling, Kozluk, Campbell-Ryce, Bogdanovic, Devaney, J. Gray, Thompson.
Referee
Karl Evans (Lancashire)
Assistant Referees
John Farries (Oxfordshire) and Eamonn Smith (Surrey)
Fourth Official
Barry Holderness (Essex)
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