QPR 2-1 Crystal Palace

By Marc Vesty

Heidar Helguson scored twice to help over-power 10-man Crystal Palace and edge Queens Park Rangers closer to promotion to the Premier League.

Striker Helguson slid Adel Taarabt's cross in at the back post to give the dominant home side a deserved lead.

The visitors equalised against the run of play when James Vaughan slotted into the left corner from six yards.

Captain Patrick McCarthy was sent off when he pulled back Taarabt in the box and Helguson stroked in the spot-kick.

With the two London sides battling desperately for points at either end of the Championship table there was a rousing atmosphere at Loftus Road.

The pre-match signs were ominous for relegation-threatened Palace, who had failed to win in 12 games on the road, while season-long table-toppers QPR boasted the best home record in the league.

Unsurprisingly, it was Rangers who dominated possession. Captain Taarabt, so often their creative focal point this season, was involved in the best early chance when he fired a low drive wide of Julian Speroni's right post from the edge of the box.

The game came at the end of a difficult week for Rangers, who have the threat of a points deduction hanging over them after being hit with seven FA charges over irregularities in the signing of Alejandro Faurlin in 2009.

But if Neil Warnock's side were distracted by fears their Premier League dream could be ruined by off-field turmoil, it did not show.

Moroccan Taarabt fired a warning shot at the visitors when he whipped over a vicious cross, which Helguson missed by millimetres at the back post.

Minutes later the same duo combined to more devastating effect. This time Taarabt received the ball on the edge of the box and his scuffed shot found Helguson, again lingering on the back post, and the Icelander slid in his 11th goal of the season.

Oozing confidence, Taarabt, whose assist was his 19th in the Championship this season - nine more than any other player - continued to pull the strings, a 20-yard effort testing Speroni.

Helguson met another cross as Rangers completely dominated the game but the striker headed over the bar from Tommy Smith's deep cross.

Despite being in almost total control, the QPR defence were caught napping as Vaughan latched on to Darren Ambrose's through-ball just inside the area and the Everton loanee slotted in the equaliser.

But a full scale Palace renaissance failed to materialise, with the half-time break interrupting their momentum.

QPR came out recharged and won a penalty when Wayne Routledge's ball found Taarabt in the box but, before he could shoot, the midfielder was felled by a rash challenge from McCarthy, which saw the centre-back receive a red card.

Helguson nonchalantly rolled the penalty down the centre to put the home side ahead once more.

Moments later, in an incident which could merit more investigation by the Football Association, bottles were thrown towards QPR goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, who was standing in front of the Palace fans.

Once tensions amongst the crowd calmed, so too did the game, petering out as Palace ran out of steam and QPR of imagination.

Helguson missed out on a hat-trick when he struck the post from Smith's cross.

But the result was enough to take QPR 10 points clear of third-placed Norwich with nine games to play, while Palace remain fourth from bottom, four points clear of third-bottom Scunthorpe, who have a game in hand.

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