Slavisa Jokanovic secures first win as Fulham boss at QPR
Fulham posted a first win under Slavisa Jokanovic on Saturday as they sealed an emphatic Sky Bet Championship double over west-London rivals QPR with a 3-1 triumph at Loftus Road.
The hosts were blitzed by three goals in the final 10 minutes of the first half, scored by Ross McCormack, Moussa Dembele and Tom Cairney.
Substitute Tjarron Chery netted a stoppage-time consolation for Rangers, who were otherwise dismal, as Jokanovic enjoyed victory for the first time since being appointed Fulham head coach on December 27.
McCormack, who bagged a brace in his team's 4-0 hammering of QPR in September, drifted between centre-backs Grant Hall and Nedum Onuoha to collect Cairney's clever pass and fired past Alex Smithies.
Worse followed for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's side when Dembele headed home Jamie O'Hara's left-wing cross to double the visitors' lead five minutes before half-time.
And in first-half stoppage time, Cairney netted from the rebound after Dembele's shot had hit the post. Hall, in attempting to block Cairney's follow-up, inadvertently deflected the ball past Smithies, who might otherwise have made the save.
Fulham goalkeeper Andy Lonergan had gathered Matt Phillips' header from Jamie Mackie's cross early on, but after that the visitors took control.
Rangers goalkeeper Smithies saved at his near post to deny Lasse Vigen Christensen, who then went off injured after just six minutes.
Smithies also palmed the ball away to prevent an unmarked McCormack getting to a cross from O'Hara, who had a long-range effort saved, but Rangers' reprieve was only temporary and by the interval Fulham were in command.
With the game as good as lost, QPR at least mustered a determined start to the second half, and appealed in vain for a penalty when Phillips' free-kick struck Scott Parker's arm.
The home fans, who jeered their team's abject performance, also felt Dan Burn could have been red-carded for bringing down Mackie after the Fulham defender had been put in trouble by Fernando Amorebieta's loose pass.
But referee Tim Robinson felt Fulham debutant Michael Madl was close enough for Burn not to be deemed the last man, and he was shown a yellow card.
Having been a spectator for much of the game, Lonergan produced a stunning to save to keep out James Perch's header and also pushed away a powerful shot from substitute Nasser El Khayati.
Lonergan also did well to get to a low shot from Chery, who eventually found the net by rifling in from eight yards following Daniel Tozser's right-wing corner.
It denied Fulham what would have been only their third clean sheet in the league this season - one of the other two shut-outs having come in their thrashing of QPR at Craven Cottage.
Nevertheless it was a day to savour for Jokanovic's team, who won with ease.
Source: PA
