QPR 2-0 Aston Villa: Austin brace sees off poor Villa

Goals in either half form striker Charlie Austin were enough for QPR to comfortably see off Aston Villa who's losing run goes on.

The game was understandably tense in the opening stages with both sides under a losing run. The only chances in the first 15 minutes fell for Villa who tested Robert Green with decent efforts from distance courtesy of midfielders Carlos Sanchez and Ashley Westwood in volley form.

However it was QPR who took the lead on 17 minutes with their first sight of goal in the game. Basic route one football from the Hoops with former Villa defender Richard Dunne playing a long ball up to Bobby Zamora who chested it down for his strike partner Austin who put his right foot through the ball from 20 yards, which was too quick for Brad Guzan who was beaten by the pace and power in his left bottom corner.

Villa had a quick response down the other end as Westwood whipped in a decent right footed cross deep from the right, which Christian Benteke glanced on at the edge of the box just wide of Robert Green's right post. After a bright first 20 minutes the rest of the first half went flat and QPR had the lead at the break.

Benteke was involved again for the first chance of the second half as he managed to head a hung costless kick from the left back down into danger for Clark who could not get a clean connection with his right foot and put it wide from six yards.

Junior Hoilett was the first substitute used in the game and was a golden one from Harry Redknapp as he helped wrap up the points for Rangers. Within three minutes of coming on he nearly scored as ran at the Villa defence, cut in from the left and bent one right footed across goal, a shot which had Guzan beat but just clipped the outside of the post.

Just two minutes after that though and QPR did go 2-0 up and make the game safe effectively. A ball played into open space down the QPR right for Eduardo Vargas who ran onto it and delivered a measured cross level with the penalty area into Austin who got across his man at the near post to turn home right footed from six yards.

Villa's only response in the last 20 minutes came in the 80th minute when Tom Cleverly hit a fine volley from the edge of the box, that Green parried back into danger only for Clark to once again not get sufficient contact with his right foot and give it straight back to the goalkeeper.

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