QPR took another step towards a return to the Premier League with a convincing win that leaves them nine points clear at the top of the Championship table.
Wayne Routledge opened the scoring with a measured volley from 12 yards.
United, who remain in the bottom three seven points from safety, had several chances, Daniel Bogdanovic blazing the best of them over soon after the break.
Alejandro Faurlin made them pay with a left-foot drive from 20 yards before Routledge drilled in his second.
Rangers looked every inch title winners-elect with Adel Taarabt, Routledge and Tommy Smith giving them numerous options going forward and Heidar Helguson linking the play cleverly.
They pressed from the outset and an inviting low right-wing cross from Taarabt should have been turned in by Clint Hill from inside the six-yard box rather than wide of the target.
But Routledge soon displayed superb technique to side-foot a looping cross from Helguson into the bottom corner.
United were showing plenty of spirit and Bogdanovic met a corner at the near post only for Shaun Derry to block the attempt on the line.
Shortly before half-time the visitors felt they should have had a penalty.
Bogdanovic's headed flick put Stephen Quinn in the clear and he fell under challenge from Fitz Hall as he was about to shoot eight yards out, but referee Keith Stroud was well placed and waved away the appeals.
Bogdanovic was in the thick of the action again with barely a minute of the second half played.
The Maltese striker again eluded his marker but as the ball sat up in front him on the edge of the six-yard box he fired way over.
Faurlin hit the goal of the night when a poor clearance following a corner fell to him just outside the box and a sweetly struck shot flew into the net, his first goal since January.
In the 66th minute Routledge collected a Helguson pass on the right-hand side of the area and drilled a low angled shot across Blades' keeper Steve Simonsen into the bottom corner.
Routledge, who helped Newcastle to promotion last term, was denied a hat-trick when a volley from the edge of the six-yard box following Helguson's headed knock-down was brilliantly turned away by Simonsen.
Substitute Patrick Agyemang, after a perfectly executed one-two with Helguson after a delightful team move, was far less clinical at the crucial moment and sent a shot way over the bar.
Rangers continued to pour forward, Ishmael Miller's left-foot shot from the corner of the area rattling the side netting.
Hall made a timely block when substitute Marcus Bent was through on goal and then Hill threw himself in front of a Yeates shot as QPR showed defensive strength to complement their attacking creativity.
QPR manager Neil Warnock:
"I enjoy the way we play, we scored great goals and deserved to win but I don't enjoy seeing my old team in the situation they are in."
Sheffield United boss Micky Adams:
"Unfortunately we're a soft touch away from home, we make too many errors defensively and you can't afford to do that against quality players.
"I couldn't fault the work-rate. We had chances, particularly in the first-half, but that's been the story of the season.
"There are seven games left, four at home, and they will be the key to it all.
"There are two home games coming up and we have to be nice and positive and defend better than we did here."
Live text and stats
Monday, 4 April 2011
Npower Championship
Home Team
Score
Away Team
Time
QPR
3-0
Sheff Utd
FT
(HT 1-0)
Routledge 29
Faurlin 52
Routledge 66
QPR
01 Kenny
02 Orr
03 Hill yellow card
05 Hall
13 Gorkss
04 Derry (Buzsaky 86)
07 Taarabt (Agyemang 71)
11 Faurlin
15 Routledge
09 Helguson
21 Smith (Miller 81)
Substitutes
24 Cerny,
39 Chimbonda,
41 Shittu,
10 Buzsaky,
25 Ephraim,
19 Agyemang,
29 Miller
Sheff Utd
01 Simonsen
03 Nosworthy (Riise 59)
20 Mattock
23 Collins
34 Lowton
04 Montgomery yellow card
08 Doyle
28 Quinn
07 Henderson
09 Evans (Bent 79)
10 Bogdanovic (Yeates 64 yellow card)
Substitutes
13 Aksalu,
22 Kozluk,
11 Yeates,
24 McAllister,
38 Riise,
17 Cresswell,
37 Bent
Ref: StroudAtt: 14,535
QPR
SHEFF UTD
Possession
QPR53%
Sheff Utd47%
Attempts on target
QPR7
Sheff Utd9
Attempts off target
QPR9
Sheff Utd10
Corners
QPR4
Sheff Utd6
Fouls
QPR13
Sheff Utd9
Final Result
Full Time
90:00+4:13 The referee blows his whistle to end the game.
90:00+3:28 Darius Henderson produces a left-footed shot from just outside the box that goes wide left of the goal.
90:00+1:25 Heidar Helguson gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Matthew Lowton. Steve Simonsen restarts play with the free kick.
90:00+0:41 Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Stephen Quinn from the right by-line, Header from deep inside the penalty area by Darius Henderson goes harmlessly over the crossbar.
90:00+0:29 Mark Yeates takes a shot. Kaspars Gorkss gets a block in.
90:00+0:13 Marcus Bent takes a shot. Fitz Hall gets a block in.
89:29 The offside flag is raised against Darius Henderson. Free kick taken by Patrick Kenny.
87:34 Shot from outside the area by Ishmael Miller misses to the left of the target.
85:23 Heidar Helguson concedes a free kick for a foul on Nick Montgomery. Free kick taken by Steve Simonsen.
85:02 Substitution Akos Buzsaky comes on in place of Shaun Derry.
82:01 Effort from deep inside the area by Ishmael Miller misses to the left of the goal.
80:25 Substitution Tommy Smith goes off and Ishmael Miller comes on.
79:24 Tommy Smith takes a shot. Save by Steve Simonsen.
78:29 Substitution Ched Evans leaves the field to be replaced by Marcus Bent.
78:09 Patrick Agyemang produces a right-footed shot from inside the area that goes over the bar.
76:45 Joe Mattock takes a shot. Blocked by Bjorn Helge Riise.
76:01 Inswinging corner taken by Stephen Quinn from the right by-line played to the near post.
75:35 Inswinging corner taken by Stephen Quinn.
73:41 Effort from inside the area by Mark Yeates misses to the right of the target.
72:48 Alejandro Faurlin takes a shot. Steve Simonsen makes a save.
72:09 Header from close range by Heidar Helguson clears the bar.
70:50 Substitution Patrick Agyemang joins the action as a substitute, replacing Adel Taarabt.
69:33 Unfair challenge on Patrick Kenny by Mark Yeates results in a free kick. Patrick Kenny restarts play with the free kick.
69:33 Booking Mark Yeates is cautioned.
68:19 Wayne Routledge takes a shot. Save by Steve Simonsen.
67:50 Free kick awarded for a foul by Darius Henderson on Alejandro Faurlin. Patrick Kenny takes the direct free kick.
66:09 Clint Hill gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Mark Yeates. Direct free kick taken by Nick Montgomery.
65:07 Assist on the goal came from Heidar Helguson.
65:07 GOAL - Wayne Routledge:QPR 3 - 0 Sheff Utd Wayne Routledge scores a goal from inside the penalty box to the bottom left corner of the goal. QPR 3-0 Sheff Utd.
63:56 Foul by Stephen Quinn on Wayne Routledge, free kick awarded. Patrick Kenny takes the direct free kick.
63:56 Substitution (Sheff Utd) makes a substitution, with Mark Yeates coming on for Daniel Bogdanovic.
62:32 Headed effort from deep inside the area by Darius Henderson misses to the right of the target.
60:29 Tommy Smith takes a shot from just outside the penalty area clears the crossbar.
58:42 Substitution (Sheff Utd) makes a substitution, with Bjorn Helge Riise coming on for Nyron Nosworthy.
58:29 Ched Evans produces a left-footed shot from just outside the box that goes wide right of the target.
54:38 Foul by Clint Hill on Ched Evans, free kick awarded. Stephen Quinn restarts play with the free kick.
51:39 GOAL - Alejandro Faurlin:QPR 2 - 0 Sheff Utd Alejandro Faurlin finds the back of the net with a goal from outside the penalty area to the bottom right corner of the goal. QPR 2-0 Sheff Utd.
51:09 Inswinging corner taken from the left by-line by Adel Taarabt.
49:14 Nyron Nosworthy takes a shot. Fitz Hall gets a block in.
47:18 Outswinging corner taken by Adel Taarabt, clearance by Nyron Nosworthy.
46:14 Close range shot by Daniel Bogdanovic clears the bar.
45:32 Alejandro Faurlin gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Nick Montgomery. Free kick taken by Steve Simonsen.
45:01 The referee starts the second half.
Half Time
45:00+2:23 It is the end of the first-half.
45:00+1:05 Ched Evans takes a shot. Blocked by Alejandro Faurlin.
44:05 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Ched Evans by Clint Hill. Direct free kick taken by Stephen Quinn.
44:05 Booking Clint Hill receives a caution.
43:25 The official flags Darius Henderson offside. Patrick Kenny takes the indirect free kick.
42:26 Unfair challenge on Shaun Derry by Stephen Quinn results in a free kick. Adel Taarabt crosses the ball in from the free kick, Unfair challenge on Neill Collins by Heidar Helguson results in a free kick. Steve Simonsen takes the free kick.
41:33 The referee blows for offside against Darius Henderson. Patrick Kenny takes the indirect free kick.
40:52 Stephen Quinn has an effort at goal from deep inside the area missing to the left of the target.
38:39 Bradley Orr has an effort at goal from outside the box which goes wide left of the target.
37:24 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Nyron Nosworthy by Tommy Smith. Steve Simonsen restarts play with the free kick.
36:07 Daniel Bogdanovic takes a shot. Patrick Kenny makes a save.
35:13 Corner taken by Stephen Quinn played to the near post, Daniel Bogdanovic takes a shot. Blocked by Alejandro Faurlin.
34:59 Shaun Derry gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Stephen Quinn. Free kick taken by Stephen Quinn.
32:56 Unfair challenge on Darius Henderson by Fitz Hall results in a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Steve Simonsen.
32:13 Nick Montgomery takes a shot. Ched Evans gets a block in.
29:39 Michael Doyle takes a shot. Fitz Hall gets a block in.
28:21 Assist by Heidar Helguson.
28:21 GOAL - Wayne Routledge:QPR 1 - 0 Sheff Utd A goal is scored by Wayne Routledge from deep inside the penalty box low into the middle of the goal. QPR 1-0 Sheff Utd.
27:55 Darius Henderson takes a shot. Save by Patrick Kenny.
26:38 Inswinging corner taken by Daniel Bogdanovic, clearance made by Heidar Helguson.
24:58 Free kick awarded for a foul by Ched Evans on Kaspars Gorkss. Patrick Kenny restarts play with the free kick.
24:13 Unfair challenge on Nyron Nosworthy by Clint Hill results in a free kick. Steve Simonsen takes the free kick.
22:45 Stephen Quinn gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Shaun Derry. Patrick Kenny takes the free kick.
21:01 Matthew Lowton takes a shot. Blocked by Fitz Hall.
20:22 Outswinging corner taken by Stephen Quinn from the left by-line.
17:45 Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Nick Montgomery by Kaspars Gorkss. Free kick taken by Steve Simonsen.
16:45 Nick Montgomery gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Heidar Helguson. Adel Taarabt takes the free kick.
14:12 Effort from inside the six-yard box by Clint Hill goes wide left of the target.
13:33 Corner taken right-footed by Adel Taarabt.
12:08 Effort from deep inside the area by Alejandro Faurlin misses to the left of the goal.
10:28 The referee blows for offside against Kaspars Gorkss. Steve Simonsen takes the free kick.
9:24 Nick Montgomery concedes a free kick for a foul on Tommy Smith. The free kick is swung in right-footed by Adel Taarabt.
9:24 Booking Nick Montgomery booked for unsporting behaviour.
7:58 Darius Henderson takes a shot.
7:03 Corner taken right-footed by Adel Taarabt to the near post, clearance by Nick Montgomery.
4:40 Nick Montgomery challenges Adel Taarabt unfairly and gives away a free kick. Adel Taarabt fires a strike on goal direct from the free kick.
3:23 Tommy Smith has an effort at goal from outside the box which goes wide left of the target.
1:17 Nick Montgomery fouled by Alejandro Faurlin, the ref awards a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Steve Simonsen.
0:00 The game kicks-off.
Live text and data provided by The Press Association.
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