Queens Park Rangers 2-3 Hull City: Jarrod Bowen scores twice in nervy Tigers win

Jarrod Bowen scored two and created a third as Hull City climbed out of the Championship relegation zone with an entertaining win at Queens Park Rangers.

A fine left-footed finish from Bowen and a header from Markus Henriksen put Nigel Adkins' side two goals up inside 25 minutes, before Pawel Wszolek halved the deficit for QPR.

Bowen's second-half effort looked to have sealed the win for Hull before a Luke Freeman goal in injury time ensured a nervous finish for the visitors.

QPR will look back ruefully on a series of missed chances at the end of the first-half, but Steve McClaren's side found opposition goalkeeper David Marshall in good form.

Hull began positively and took the lead when Bowen latched on to a Frazier Campbell flick-on before cutting inside and slotting past Joe Lumley.

Henriksen headed home a Bowen corner to double the visitors' lead, before QPR came back into the game when Angel Rangel crossed for Wszolek to slide the ball home.

The Spanish full-back then came within inches of drawing QPR level with a spectacular 30-yard drive that rebounded off the bar, before Hull goalkeeper Marshall was forced into a series of saves as the Londoners finished the half strongly.

Bowen capped a fine individual performance with a second goal to restore Hull's two-goal lead with 20 minutes remaining following neat link-up play with Kamil Grosicki.

Freeman pulled a goal back in stoppage time but Hull, who have now lost just one of their past six games, held on to climb to 19th in the table.

Hull City manager Nigel Adkins speaking to BBC Radio Humberside:

"The spirit was there for everyone to see. Without highlighting anyone individually, it started at the front- look at how hard Fraizer Campbell worked. He ran his socks off. Everyone is working really hard for each other.

"We've played some really good football this year and maybe not got the results. Today had all of the things you're looking for. We looked a good threat going forward, we looked solid defensively and there's a good camaraderie around everybody.

"It was really pleasing to back up the performance against Norwich on Tuesday night with an excellent win away from home. We scored three, and could have scored more."

On the possibility of Jarrod Bowen leaving the club in January:

"Who knows what will happen? I'd love him to go to the very, very top, but I want him to go the top with Hull City."

QPR manager Steve McClaren:

"When you gamble - and we had to gamble - you can be on the wrong end of it. I still felt at half-time that we'd win, but we were always susceptible to that third goal. That's what happens when you throw caution to the wind, which we had to do. It didn't pay off today.

"That was our second defeat in 10 games. Over that 10-game spell we've been very good defensively and have kept clean sheets. Now we're not keeping clean sheets and we need to get back to that. We dust ourselves down and go again.

"We've kind of fallen off the wave and we need to get back on another wave. We need to get back to the basics, get back on the training ground, and get the simple things right, because we certainly look like we can score goals."