Newcastle United saw their winless run in the Premier League stretched to 10 games following a 2-1 defeat against Queens Park Rangers this afternoon.
The Magpies had taken the lead through Emmanuel Riviere's strike, before Matt Phillips headed in Charlie Austin's cross to draw QPR level.
Leroy Fer then fired a powerful effort into the top corner to win the match for the Hoops and give them their first home victory of the year.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the events that unfolded at Loftus Road.
Match Statistics:
QPR:
Shots 8
On Target 4
Possession 47%
Corners 3
Fouls 12
NEWCASTLE:
Shots 22
On Target 8
Possession 53%
Corners 12
Fouls 8
Was the result fair?
The result is slightly harsh on Newcastle, who had played well in the first half and certainly looked the team more likely to win the game. However, QPR responded brilliantly after the break and they were far more threatening in the final third. They had created a couple of decent chances before they eventually found the net and Fer's thunderbolt was good enough to win any match.
QPR's performance
QPR looked short of confidence in the first 45 minutes and they struggled to put together any dangerous attacking moves. They only had one shot and were fortunate to go into their dressing room trailing by just one goal. Chris Ramsey must have had some strong words for his players at the break, as they looked a completely different side in the second half. They battled well for every ball and crucially exposed Newcastle on the break. It does little to mask a poor season, but at least their fans can go home happy after a first win at Loftus Road since December.
Newcastle's performance
Newcastle could have secured their safety with a victory this afternoon, but they will now go into the final day of the season nervously hoping to avoid the drop. They started well and grabbed a crucial lead thanks to a rare goal from Riviere and Fabricio Coloccini almost added a second on the stroke of half time, with a header that was brilliantly stopped by Alex McCarthy. It all went wrong for them when they re-emerged for the second half, as they struggled to contain their opponents on the break and gave the ball away cheaply far too often. They were punished for their defensive mistakes and failed to create any clear-cut chances to equalise, as they slipped to a ninth defeat in 10 games.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Charlie Austin: QPR's player of the season was instrumental in helping his team to come from behind and win this afternoon. He set up the first goal of the match with a fine cross to the back post that was headed in by Phillips and he was a constant nuisance for the Newcastle defence.
Biggest gaffe
Paul Dummett had one of Newcastle's best chances in the second half, when the ball landed to him kindly inside the six-yard box. However, he ended up firing his strike high over the bar and his team never came closer to find the back of the net.
Referee's performance
Lee Probert won't have too many easier games to referee. He only gave out two yellow cards to Joey Barton and Yun Suk-young, which were both deserved, while he did not have to make any controversial decisions regarding any of the goals.
What next?
QPR: The R's will finish their season with a trip to Leicester City.
Newcastle: The Magpies end their campaign against West Ham United at St James' Park.
Alex Meyers
