Queens Park Rangers 3-2 Middlesbrough: Rs hold on to claim first win of season & More Live News

QPR earned their first points of the season as they held off a strong Middlesbrough fightback to claim a narrow win at Loftus Road.

It was 3-0 when Lyndon Dykes stooped to head in Stefan Johansen’s free-kick before Matt Crooks’ bullet header gave the visitors some hope before the break.

Marcus Forss’ close-range finish on his first start made it 3-2 and an equaliser was chalked off when Paddy McNair’s effort was ruled out for offside before Boro’s Darragh Lenihan was sent off in stoppage-time.

The sides produced nine goals in their two league meetings last season and the pattern continued in a goal-laden opening hour.

Rangers failed to land a shot on target in their league opener at Blackburn and manager Michael Beale’s three changes worked as Willock and Dunne both found the net inside 30 minutes.

Rangers had lost four of their final five home matches in a dismal end to last season, but in Beale’s first match in charge at Loftus Road it was a very different story with a stunning first-half display, Dyke capping it by ending his 13-game goal drought.

Boro have won just one of the last nine meetings, but gave themselves real hope when Crooks powered in a header and then crossed for Forss to make it 3-2 with more than 30 minutes left to play.

The visitors were much improved after the break and only the assistant referee’s flag denied McNair from hauling them level from Ryan Giles’ cross.

But late on it was the hosts who went closest to the game’s sixth goal on the counter as Albert Adomah flashed an effort wide before Lenihan saw red after his foul denied Macauley Bonne a clear run on goal.