Ahead of the trip to Teeside on Wednesday night, we're dipping back to a classic match from 1993 when Les Ferdinand's second half winner pushed Boro closer to the drop.

Memorable Match

Middlesbrough 0 QPR 1, Saturday January 9, 1993, Premier League

Middlesbrough FC during the 1980s was something of a financial disaster zone. They’d actually been relegated to the Third Division in 1985 and come within ten minutes of liquidation before local businessman Steve Gibson brought together a consortium to save the club. Gibson has spectacularly bankrolled Boro ever since, seeing them move to the new Riverside Stadium and reach a UEFA Cup final in 2006. Led by inspirational captain Tony Mowbray and wily manager Lennie Lawrence they finished second in the 1991/92 Second Division and thereby won the right to be founder members of the Premier League.

They started the season well too. Champions Leeds were thrashed 4-1 at Ayresome Park and they won four and drew one of their first seven matches prior to a visit to Loftus Road which blossomed from quiet beginnings into a real 3-3 cliffhanger, with Andy Sinton equalising for the third time in the game with a stoppage time penalty in the days when QPR used to score stoppage time penalties. Memories and highlights of that absolute belter available here in our History column from the first meeting this season.

But while QPR, into a second year under the guidance of manager Gerry Francis, kicked on with Les Ferdinand, succeeding Roy Wegerle as the team’s go-to striker, banging in the goals left right and centre, Boro did not. Rangers had beaten nine-man Everton 4-2 with a Sinton hat trick and then comprehensively dumped Glenn Hoddle’s Swindon out of the FA Cup prior to a league meeting with Boro in the North East in early January. The hosts, meanwhile, had won only two of their previous 15 matches, a run that started with that draw at Loftus Road. Beaten 1-0 at home by relegation rivals Crystal Palace a week prior, they got a repeat dose from Gerry Francis’ team.

Jon Gittens fluffed a good early chance wide from a John Hendrie free kick and then Paul Wilkinson failed to connect with the resulting Jimmy Phillips corner at the back post having been left unmarked. The standard Tony Roberts fluffed goalkick put the R’s under more pressure midway through the half — Bardsley fouling Tommy Wright and a young Craig Hignett volleying fractionally wide when the resulting free kick was cleared out to him on the edge of the box. Amidst more defensive chaos Nicky Mohan spun on a loose ball on the edge of the six yard box and thumped a volley off the bar with Roberts beaten. The goalkeeper was in much better touch later on though when a weak header from David Bardsley set Hignett away and when his loose touch deflected into the path of Jamie Pollock the future QPR legend unleashed a volley hat seemed destined for the top corner until Roberts made an improbable and unorthodox save onto the inside of the post at full stretch.

QPR lost Gary Penrice after 20 minutes and Andy Sinton at half time thanks to injury but recovered from that and a first half battering to go on and win the game. Bradley Allen was added to the attack alongside Les Ferdinand, Danny Maddix was brought in for Sinton to shore things up with the midfield missing the influential Ray Wilkins. A brilliant move on a difficult pitch got Rangers the only goal of the game with Ferdinand sweeping it wide to Brevett to release Allen who found Ferdinand and after taking a touch to move himself into the penalty area he fairly well hammered the ball into the bottom corner to silence the crowd.

Boro had 15 minutes to salvage something and after Hignett won a generous free kick from Simon Barker on the edge of the area he took the set piece himself and drew a routine save from Roberts — or, as routine as saves ever got for the accident-prone keeper.

Afterwards Lawrence said: “I’m concerned with the lack of confidence we showed. We spoke about the need to start the game properly and we didn’t get going for the first 20 minutes, made it easy for QPR. We finished the first half reasonably lively and were a bit unfortunate but most of our shots were from long range and most goalkeepers at this level can deal with that. In the second half it was just too predictable and a repeat of the Crystal Palace game. We didn’t play at all in this game, we failed to produce crosses and decent shots on their goal.

Boro lost 5-1 at Villa in their next league game and went into something of a free fall with a run of seven defeats from eight games leading to a relegation with 44 points, four ahead of Forest who finished last and five behind Palace who were relegated on goal difference from Oldham Athletic. That despite Boro winning two and drawing one of the last three games. QPR went the other way, finishing the season with four wins and three draws from the final seven games to finish fifth and top London club.

Boro: Pears; Fleming, Peake, Phillips, Mohan, Gittens; Pollock, Wright (Falconer), Wilkinson; Hendrie, Hignett

QPR: Roberts; Bardsley, McDonald, Peacock, Brevett; Impey, Barker, Wilson, Sinton (Maddix); Ferdinand, Penrice (Allen)

Classic Encounters

LFW regular and AKUTR’s columnist Dave Barton has set up a QPR Memories YouTube channel, with a mixture of clips, classic games, and old highlights packages. His Middlesbrough packages are embedded below, give him a subscribe on YouTube or follow @QPR_Memories on Twitter.

Recent Meetings

Middlesbrough 1 QPR 2, Saturday April 15, 2021, Championship

QPR finished last season with a trio of away wins to surpass the previous season’s total of seven. One of those was at Middlesbrough where an initial blast stunned the home team, Rob Dickie scored from fully 30 yards, and Lee Wallace finished a flowing move with a back post header. A comfortable win became a nervous one when Bolasie pulled a goal back on the half hour and, having got away with a similar incident in the first half thanks to a great recovery save, Seny Dieng was sent off for chopping down an opponent outside the box. Joe Lumley’s cameo off the bench featured two outstanding saves as the R’s hung on to win 2-1.

Boro: Archer 6; Fisher 6 (Johnson 55, 6), Hall 6, McNair 6; Spence 5 (Coulson 63, 5), Saville 7, Howson 6, Bola 5; Kebano 6, Watmore 7, Bolasie 8 (Assombalonga 82, -)

Subs not used: Bettinelli, Akpom, Fletcher, Hackney, Coburn, Malley

Goals: Bolasie 28 (assisted Kebano)

QPR: Dieng 6; Kakay 5, Dickie 8, Barbet 6; Adomah 6 (Ball 74, 7), Thomas 6 (Lumley 60, 8), Johansen 6, Chair 6 (Duke-McKenna 86, -), Wallace 8; Willock 7 (Field 74, 6), Dykes 7

Subs not used: Kane, Bonne, Bettache, Hämäläinen, Kelman

Goals: Dickie 15 (assisted Dykes), Wallace 18 (assisted Dykes)

Red Cards: Dieng 58 (denying obvious goalscoring opp)

Yellow Cards: Kakay 31 (foul)

QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1, Saturday September 26, 2020, Championship

QPR and Middlesbrough fought out a 1-1 draw in a run-of-the-mill Championship fixture at Loftus Road back in September 2020. QPR’s set piece hangover from 2019/20 continued early on as Chuba Akpom stole in at the near post to head home a nineteenth minute corner, but Bright Osayi-Samuel was soon on hand to convert from close range after Bettinelli spilled a routine shot. Luke Amos and Britt Assombalonga both missed great chances to score and Tom Carroll’s shot somehow hit the inside of the post, rolled all the way along the line and eluded a host of would-be scorers to ensure the scores finished deadlocked.

QPR: Dieng 6; Kakay 7, Dickie 6, Barbet 5, Wallace 5; Cameron 5, Amos 6; Osayi-Samuel 7, Thomas 6 (Carroll 60, 6), Chair 6 (Smyth 73, 6); Dykes 6

Subs not used: Kane, Ball, Oteh, Masterson, Kelly

Goals: Osayi-Samuel 28 (assisted Amos)

Boro: Bettinelli 5; McNair 7, Hall 6 (Fry 55, 6), Dijksteel 5; Tavernier 5, Howson 6, Johnson 5, Saville 6, Spence 5 (Morsy 64, 6); Assombalonga 5, Akpom 6

Subs not used: Wing, Browne, Bola, Coulson, Pears

Goals: Akpom 19 (assisted McNair)

Bookings: Dijksteel 85 (foul)

Middlesbrough 0 QPR 1, Saturday July 7, 2020, Championship

QPR recovered from a rocky start to lockdown football with a 1-0 away win at Neil Warnock’s Middlesbrough. Jordan Hugill scored a first half winner so spectacular it exploded his hamstring and it turned out to be his final touch for the club before a summer move to Norwich. Typically, it came just seconds after he’d butchered a far easier one on one chance with the goalkeeper. Middlesbrough threatened sporadically but this was a rare solid day at the office for the rickety QPR defence, and Joe Lumley played well on his recall to the side.

Boro: Stojanovic 6; Howson 6, Fry 5, Friend 5, Johnson 4 (Coulson 80, -); Moukoudi 5, Saville 5 (Wing 65, 5); Roberts 7 (Tavernier 80, -), Morrison 4 (McNair 66, 6), Fletcher 5 (Nmecha 66, 5); Assombalonga 5

Subs not used: Dijksteel, Shotton, Clayton, Pears

Bookings: Johnson 38 (foul), Saville 51 (foul), Assombalonga 89 (diving)

QPR: Lumley 7; Kakay 7, Cameron 6, Barbet 7; Kane 6, Manning 7; Amos 5, Ball 6, Eze 7 (Oteh 70, 5); Osayi-Samuel 7, Hugill 6 (Chair 35, 6)

Goals: Hugill 32 (assisted Manning)

QPR 2 Middlesbrough 2, Saturday November 9, 2019, Championship

QPR were very QPR indeed when they met an injury ravaged Middlesbrough for a banker home win at Loftus Road back in November. An early Britt Assombalonga goal was equalised by Nahki Wells quickly enough, and a Jonny Howson own goal off a corner before half time set things back according to the script. But a second half of procrastination left the score perilously close and when Wells inexplicably passed the ball straight to Assombalonga deep in the QPR penalty box the game was up and two points were lost.

QPR: Lumley 5; Hall 5, Cameron 4, Wallace 5; Kane 6, Manning 5; Ball 6, Amos 5 (Scowen 62, 5), Eze 6, Chair 6 (Hugill 62, 5); Wells 5

Subs not used: Smith, Pugh, Mlakar, Osayi-Samuel, Barnes

Goals: Wells 25 (assisted Chair), Howson og 44 (assisted Hall, pre-assist Eze)

Bookings: Wells 42 (unsporting), Hall 53 (foul), Ball 83 (foul), Cameron 89 (foul)

Middlesbrough: Randolph 5; Fry 6, Ayala 6, Friend 6; Howson 6 (Dijksteel 65, 6), Johnson 6; McNair 7, Wing 6, Tvaernier 6 (Clayton 77, 6); Fletcher 7, Assombalonga 7

Subs not used: Coulson, O’Neill, Walker, Liddle, Pears

Goals: Assombalonga 23 (assisted Howson), 65 (assisted Wells)

Bookings: Fry 90+2 (foul), Randolph 90+4 (time wasting)

Middlesbrough 2 QPR 0, Saturday February 23, 2019, Championship

QPR made it seven league games without a win with an abject display and thoroughly deserved 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough in February. They conceded with barely three minutes on the clock, in Boro’s first attack, by letting Jonny Howson run through unchecked to nudge a cross through Joe Lumley. The young keeper’s difficult afternoon got worse when Ashley Fletcher beat him far too easily at his near post for 2-0 on the half hour. He did save from Assombalonga shortly after that when Toni Leistner was caught dallying in possession, and again after half time as Boro went through the second half motions and won at a canter.

Boro: Randolph 6; Howson 7, Ayala 6, Shotton 6, Fry 7; Wing 6, Mikel 8, Besic 8 (Downing 59, 6), Saville 8; Assombalonga 6 (Hugill 78, 6), Fletcher 6 (Tavernier 73, 6)

Subs not used: Konstantopoulos, Clayton, McNair, Van La Parra

Goals: Howson 3 (assisted Besic), Fletcher 31 (assisted Besic)

Bookings: Besic 14 (foul), Howson 63 (foul)

QPR: Lumley 3; Furlong 4, Leistner 5, Hall 5, Bidwell 5; Wszolek 5 (Wells 81, -), Luongo 5, Cousins 5, Manning 4 (Osayi-Samuel 46, 6); Eze 6; Hemed 4 (Smith 69, 5)

Subs not used: Ingram, Scowen, Kakay, Lynch

Bookings: Cousins 70 (foul)

QPR 2 Middlesbrough 1, Saturday December 15, 2018, Championship

QPR snapped a four match winless run with a good performance and 2-1 win against promotion chasing Boro at Loftus Road in December. The R’s started fast and took a third minute lead thanks to a close range finish from Pawel Wszolek. Boro bit back after half time with George Saville making the most of Darnell Furlong’s unfortunate slip to find the far corner. But that was their only shot on target across the 90 minutes and Rangers deserved the win supplied to them by Nahki Wells from Wszolek’s assist on the hour.

QPR: Lumley 6; Furlong 7, Leistner 8, Lynch 5 (Scowen 52, 6), Bidwell 6; Cousins 7, Luongo 8; Wszolek 8, Eze 7 (Smith 88, -), Freeman 8; Wells 8 (Oteh 90+3, -)

Subs not used: Ingram, Chair, Osayi-Samuel, Smyth

Goals: Wszolek 3 (assisted Bidwell), Wells 60 (assisted Wszolek)

Boro: Randolph 5; Shotton 6, Ayala 6, Flint 6, Friend 5; Howson 6 (Wing 64, 6), Clayton 6; Saville 7 (Fletcher 82, -), Downing 6 (Tavernier 64, 6), Assombalonga 5; Hugill 5

Subs not used: Konstantopoulos, Batth, McNair, Fry

Goals: Saville 51 (unassisted)

Bookings: Saville 58 (foul), Flint 73 (persistent fuckwittery), Assombalonga 88 (foul)

QPR 0 Middlesbrough 3, Saturday January 20, 2018, Championship

QPR’s fluid formations, fast rotating team and wildly inconsistent form came a cropper against a well drilled and expensively assembled Tony Pulis side at Loftus Road in January. Although Jack Robinson wasn’t far wide with an early 30-yarder, Boro took the lead when Daniel Ayala was left unmarked to head home a corner and it was 2-0 before half time when George Friend was given all the time he needed to pick out the top corner from 25 yards. A pair of half time substitutions barely stemmed the bleeding and the game was finally put to bed five minutes from time by Adama Traore.

QPR: Smithies 6; Onuoha 5, Lynch 5, Robinson 5; Furlong 6, Bidwell 5 (Osayi-Samuel 46, 5); Scowen 5 (Eze 70, 6), Freeman 5, Luongo 5; Washington 5, Oteh 5 (Smith 46, 5)

Subs not used: Ingram, Manning, Baptiste, Wszolek

Boro: Randolph 6; Shotton 7, Ayala 7, Gibson 7, Friend 7; Bamford 6 (Clayton 72, 7), Leadbitter 7, Howson 7, Traore 8; Downing 7 (Christie 87, -); Asombalonga 6 (Gestede 69, 7)

Subs not used: Konstantopoulos, Braithwaite, Fletcher, Johnson

Goals: Ayala 24 (assisted Traore), Friend 34 (unassisted), Traore 85 (assisted Gestede)

Injury-hit QPR’s makeshift defence suffered from a mad five minutes on the hour and ended up losing a game they could easily have won when these sides met back in September. Debutant David Wheeler slammed in Luke Freeman’s cross shot early on to give Rangers the lead and, although Chelsea loanee Lewis Baker equalised for Boro before the break, a typical Jamie Mackie goal early in the second half restored Rangers’ advantage. But missing Nedum Onouha, Grant Hall, Joel Lynch and James Perch, the defence finally imploded on the hour as Boro’s big money attack scored twice in quick succession through Ashley Fletcher and Britt Assombalonga to win 3-2.

Boro: Randolph 5; Christie 6, Fry 6, Gibson 6, Fabio 5; Leadbitter 6 (Howson 56, 6), Clayton 6 (Fletcher 46, 7); Baker 8, Downing 6 (Forshaw 78, 6), Johnson 8; Assombalonga 7

Subs not used: Konstantopoulos, Friend, Shotton, Bamford

Goals: Baker 36 (assisted Johnson), Fletcher 55 (assisted Christie), Assombalonga 60 (assisted Johnson)

Yellows: Clayton 34 (foul), Leadbitter 39 (foul), Christie 66 (unsporting), Baker 66 (foul)

QPR: Smithies 7; Furlong 6, Baptiste 6, Robinson 6, Bidwell 6; Luongo 8, Freeman 7, Manning 7; Lua Lua 6 (Wszolek 45, 6), Smith 6 (Mackie 45, 6), Wheeler 6 (Sylla 68, 6)

Subs not used: Borysiuk, Ngbakoto, Lumley, Osayi-Samuel

Goals: Wheeler 2 (assisted Freeman), Mackie 50 (unassisted)

Yellows: Luongo 32 (foul), Wszolek 47 (foul), Smithies 52 (timewasting), Mackie 66 (unsporting)

QPR 2 Middlesbrough 3, Friday April 1, 2016, Championship

QPR’s defence played the April fools as Middlesbrough won 3-2 at Loftus Road when these sides met towards the end of 2015/16. Jordan Rhodes made the most of Grant Hall’s mistake to round Alex Smithies and give the visitors a seventeenth minute lead but Jamie Mackie’s powerful volley off the underside of the bar equalised on the say-so of the linesman. Ale Faurlin fouled Albert Adomah for an obvious penalty straight after half time but Smithies, typically, saved Leadbitter’s kick. From the resulting corner, however, was headed in by Ramirez and more slack marking at a corner allowed Gibson to make it three soon after. Tjaronn Chery’s spectacular late strike served as mere consolation after Seb Polter had a goal incorrectly disallowed.

QPR: Smithies 7; Onuoha 5, Angella 5, Hall 5, Perch 7; Faurlin 5 (Washington 79 6), Henry 7; Phillips 5 (Hoilett 62, 6), Chery 7, Mackie 7 (El Khayati 69 6); Polter 6

Subs not used: Ingram, Luongo, Petrasso, Robinson

Goals: Mackie 31 (Unassisted), Chery 86 (assisted Polter)

Bookings: Perch 77 (foul)

Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos 6; Nsue 7, Kalas 6, Gibson 6, Friend 7; Clayton 7, Leadbitter 7, Adomah 8, Ramirez 7 (Forshaw 67, 6), Downing 6 (Ayala 84, 6); Rhodes 6 (Nugent 78, 6)

Subs not used: de Laet, De Pena, de Sart, Agazzi

Goals: Rhodes 18 (Assisted Leadbitter), Ramirez 51 (Assisted Leadbitter), Gibson 57 (Assisted Leadbitter)

Middlesbrough 1 QPR 0, Friday November 20, 2015, Championship

Officially Neil Warnock was in temporary charge when QPR played at the Riverside Stadium that season, although family issues meant he didn’t attend the game and Kevin Blackwell was the man delivering instructions from the touchline. A horrifying image. QPR, as was their style at the time, started with no striker at all and should have been behind at half time when Konchesky got caught out of position by Adomah but his low cross was turned onto the inside of the post by David Nugent from a yard out. A rally at the start of the second half saw Matt Phillips miss an equally good chance for the visitors but the game looked to be drifting to a goalless draw until an injury time corner wasn’t dealt with and Leroy Fer deliberately handled the resulting shot on the line to prevent a goal. A red card, and successful Grand Leadbitter penalty, the inevitable outcome.

Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos 6; Nsue 6, Ayala 6, Gibson 6, Friend 6; Leadbitter 7, Clayton 7; Adomah 6 (Kike 78, 6), Fabbrini 7 (Stuani 63, 6), Downing 6; Nugent 5

Subs not used: de Pena, Meijas, Stephens, Zuculini, Woodgate

Goals: Leadbitter (penalty, handball Fer, 90)

Bookings: Leabitter (foul)

QPR: Green 6; Perch 5, Onuoha 7, Hall 7, Konchesky 5; Henry 6, Sandro 6 (Emmanuel-Thomas 81, -), Fer 5, Faurlin 6 (Tozser 75, 5), Phillips 6, Yun 6.

Subs not used: Smithies, Angella, Luongo, Petrasso, Blackwood

Red Cards: Fer 90 (deliberate handball preventing a goal)

Booked: Phillips (foul), Faurlin (repetitive fouling), Onuoha (foul)

Middlesbrough 1 QPR 3, Saturday March 22, 2014, Championship

Rangers secured a fourth straight victory against Boro when these sides met at the Riverside in 2014 — although the circumstances behind it were rather bizarre. Harry Redknapp's side had been in mediocre form for a couple of months, with Charlie Austin out injured and a rushed collection of loan signings failing to cover for the talismanic forward. Another defeat looked on the cards when George Friend put Boro in front from close range after Joey Barton bottled a tackle in his own penalty area, and even when Yossi Benayoun equalised before half time the home side still looked the more likely to win. And everybody thought they had, with a minute to go, when Friend met a loose ball flush on the volley from 20 yards out, beat Robert Green all ends up but somehow missed the target by half an inch. When it's not your day, it's not your day — second later keeper Dimi Konstantopoulos came out of his area to execute a routine clearance downfield only for the ball to hit a discarded drinks lid and hop over his foot. Bobby Zamora, scarcely believing his luck, walked the ball into the empty net for the winner. The score was given a very flattering look by a fabulous Ravel Morrison goal deep into injury time as Boro pushed forward for an equaliser.

Middlesbrough: Konstantopoulos 5; Varga 6, Omeruo 5, Gibson 6, Friend 7; Whitehead 5, Chalobah 7; Butterfield 6 (Tomlin 63, 6), Kamara 6 (Ledesma 88, -), Adomah 6; Graham 4

Subs not used: Steele, Williams, Main, Morris, Atkinson

Goals: Friend 19 (unassisted)

Bookings: Chalobah 65 (foul), Friend 71 (foul), Kamara 75 (unsporting conduct)

QPR: Green 6; Hughes 5, Onuoha 6, Hill 6, Suk-Young 7; Carroll 6, Barton 5; Benayoun 5 (O’Neil 76, 6), Morrison 7, Kranjcar 6 (Hoilett 61, 6); Keane 5 (Zamora 64, 7)

Subs not used: Simpson, Murphy, Donaldson, Petrasso

Goals: Benayoun 44 (assisted Kranjcar), Zamora 90+2 (unassisted), Morrison 90+5 (assisted Zamora)

Bookings: Carroll 22 (foul), Kranjcar 31 (foul), Morrison 75 (unsporting conduct), Barton 75 (unsporting conduct), O’Neil 90+1 (foul)

QPR 2 Middlesbrough 0, Saturday September 28, 2013, Championship

QPR turned in one of their best performances of the season, hammering another nail into Tony Mowbray’s Middlesbrough coffin in the process, when these sides met for the first time that season in September. With Niko Kranjcar in scintillating form the R’s could have scored a hat full but eventually settled for the two they managed before half time. The home team took the lead after just four minutes thanks to a mixture of actually committing decent numbers into the penalty box for a change and some shambolic Middlesbrough defending. When the visitors failed to take several invitations to clear their lines Danny Simpson whipped in a low cross that goalkeeper Jason Steele punched out as far as Barton and his bobbling low shot bounced into the net via half a dozen deflections in a crowded goal mouth. Just after the half hour QPR flooded a chaotic penalty area with bodies, Charlie Austin drew a save from Steele and young centre back Ben Gibson handled a follow up shot from O’Neil playing against his former club. Austin took the kick himself, went the opposite side the one he’d picked for his match winner at Yeovil a week previous, and calmly collected his third goal in four appearances.

QPR: Green 7; Simpson 7, Dunne 8, Hill 7 (Ehmer 79, 7), Assou-Ekotto 7; Carroll 6, Faurlin 7 (Henry 79, 6), Barton 7, Kranjcar 8 (Hoilett 83, -), O’Neil 7; Austin 7

Subs not used: Murphy, Traore, Jenas, Chevanton

Goals: Barton 4 (assisted Simpson), Austin 35 (penalty, handball)

Bookings: O’Neil 6 (foul), Simpson 12 (foul)

Middlesbrough: Steele 6; Friend 6 Gibson 7, Woodgate 6 (Parnaby 46, 6), Richardson 6; Butterfield 6 (Smallwood 67, 6), Leadbitter 6, Varga 5 (Jutkiewicz 46, 6), Whitehead 5; Adomah 6, Kamara 6

Subs not used: Leutwiler, Hoyte, Halliday, Carayol

Bookings: Whitehead 32 (repetitive fouling), Gibson 34 (deliberate handball) Adomah 89 (foul)

QPR 3 Middlesbrough 0, Saturday September 10, 2010, Championship

Rangers ripped into Gordan Strachan’s team in the second half of their 2010 meeting to secure a fourth comfortable win of the season after just five league games played. Kept scoreless at the break, and almost falling behind when big-money Scottish target man Kris Boyd missed a gilt edged chance from the middle of the six yard box, Rangers were not in the mood for compromise after the break. Heidar Helguson rolled in a penalty, Hogan Ephraim stabbed home another after a fine pass from Taarabt and Jamie Mackie added a third from an Ephraim assist all within the first 14 minutes of the second stanza. Later in the game Bradley Orr left the field injured, and then his replacement Peter Ramage ruptured cruciate knee ligaments, but manager Neil Warnock quickly shipped in Kyle Walker on loan from Spurs who turned out to be an inspired signing and the week only got better with a 3-0 away win at Ipswich on the Tuesday quickly followed with a 2-0 success at Leicester. QPR would go on to be crowned champions.

QPR: Kenny 7, Orr 7 (Ramage 69, 6), Connolly 7, Gorkss 7, Hill 7, Derry 8, Faurlin 8, Mackie 8 (Smith 80, 6), Taarabt 8 (Buzsaky 70, 7), Ephraim 8, Helguson 8

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Leigertwood, Agyemang, Parker

Goals: Helguson 49 (penalty), Ephraim 53 (assisted Taarabt), Mackie 59 (assisted Ephraim)

Middlesbrough: Steele 7, Bates 5, McManus 5, Wheater 5, Robson 4, Tavares 6, O'Neil 5, Bailey 4 (Halliday 79, 6), Kink 6 (Hoyte 55, 6), Boyd 6 (Lita 65, 7), McDonald 6

Subs Not Used: Coyne, Miller, Arca, Smallwood

Booked: Robson (foul)

Middlesbrough 2 QPR 0, Saturday February 23, 2010, Championship

The two thumping 3-0 wins during the promotion season were in stark contrast to QPR’s abject failures against Boro the previous year. Strachan enjoyed his first win as Boro boss in emphatic fashion at Loftus Road — a 5-1 success sparking a meltdown in Jim Magilton’s reign as manager that subsequently saw him sacked after an alleged assault on Akos Buzsaky in the dressing room after a similarly dire defeat at Watford. By the time the R’s travelled north for the return fixture they’d worked their way through Paul Hart and were about to swap Mick Harford for Neil Warnock with relegation starting to loom large. Understandably they put up feable resistance in a dreadful encounter that was settled by two penalties to the home side just before half time. A rash tackle by Peter Ramage on Jeremie Alliadiere set the ball rolling five minutes before the break and that was quickly followed by an equally stupid lunge, this time from Kaspars Gorkss on Leroy Lita. Barry Robson comfortably outwitted loaned goalkeeper Carl Ikeme with both spot kicks. We had an excellent turkey and stuffing roll from a van behind the away end. They also did roast beef.

Middlesbrough: Coyne 7, Naughton 6, Wheater 7, McManus 6, Pogatetz 6 (Taylor 78, 6), Flood 6, O'Neil 6, Robson 8, Aliadiere 5 (Franks 66, 6), Lita 6 (Arca 83, -), Killen 6

Subs Not Used: Jones, Hoyte, Miller, Grounds

Booked: Killen (foul)

Goals: Robson 39 (penalty), 45 (penalty)

QPR: Ikeme 6, Ramage 4, Stewart 5, Gorkss 4, Hill 4 (Borrowdale 53, 4),Cook 6, Leigertwood 7, Faurlin 6 (Taarabt 69, 6), Buzsaky 7, Simpson 6, German 5 (Bent 54, 6)

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Vine, Balanta, Ephraim

Booked: Gorkss (foul)

Previous Results

Head to Head >>> Boro wins 18 >>> Draws 17 >>> QPR wins 20

2020/21 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 2 (Dickie, Wallace)

2020/21 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1 (Osayi-Samuel)

2019/20 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 1 (Hugill)

2019/20 QPR 2 Middlesbrough 2 (Wells, Howson og)

2018/19 Middlesbrough 2 QPR 0

2018/19 QPR 2 Middlesbrough 1 (Wszolek, Wells)

2017/18 QPR 0 Middlesbrough 3

2017/18 Middlesbrough 3 QPR 2 (Wheeler, Mackie)

2015/16 QPR 2 Middlesbrough 3 (Mackie, Chery)

2015/16 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 0

2013/14 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 3 (Benayoun, Zamora, Morrison)

2013/14 QPR 2 Middlesbrough 0 (Barton, Austin)

2010/11 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 3 (Helguson 2, Taarabt (pen))

2010/11 QPR 3 Middlesbrough 0 (Helguson pen, Ephraim, Mackie)

2009/10 Middlesbrough 2 QPR 0

2009/10 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 5 (Agyemang)

1997/98 QPR 5 Middlesbrough 0 (Sheron 2, Gallen, Bruce, Vickers og)

1997/98 Middlesbrough 2 QPR 0 (FA Cup replay)

1997/98 QPR 2 Middlesbrough 2 (FA Cup - Gallen, Spencer)

1997/98 Middlesbrough 3 QPR 0

1995/96 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1 (McDonald)

1995/96 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 0

1992/93 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 1 (Ferdinand)

1992/93 QPR 3 Middlesbrough 3 (Ferdinand, Penrice, Sinton)

1988/89 QPR 0 Middlesbrough 0

1988/89 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 0

1982/83 QPR 6 Middlesbrough 1 (Allen 3, Mickelwhite, Flanagan, Gregory)

1982/83 Middlesbrough 2 QPR 1 (Allen)

1981/82 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1** (Stainrod)

1981/82 Middlesbrough 2 QPR 3** (Stainrod 2, Neill)

1978/79 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1 (Goddard)

1978/79 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 2 (Harkouk, Eastoe)

1977/78 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 0 (Busby)

1977/78 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 1 (Busby)

1976/77 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 2 (Masson, Abbott)

1976/77 QPR 3 Middlesbrough 0 (Givens (pen), Masson, Bowles)

1975/76 QPR 4 Middlesbrough 2 (Francis 2 (1pen), Givens, Bowles)

1975/76 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 0

1974/75 QPR 0 Middlesbrough 0

1974/75 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 3 (Bowles, Givens, Rogers)

1972/73 Middlesbrough 0 QPR 0

1972/73 QPR 2 Middlesbrough 2 (Givens, O’Rourke)

1971/72 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 0 (Clement)

1971/72 Middlesbrough 3 QPR 2 (McCulloch, Marsh)

1970/71 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1 (Francis)

1970/71 Middlesbrough 6 QPR 2 (Clement, Marsh)

1969/70 Middlesbrough 1 QPR 0

1969/70 QPR 4 Middlesbrough 0 (Bridges 2, Clark, Clement)

1967/68 Middlesbrough 3 QPR 1 (L Allen)

1967/68 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1 (Marsh)

1966/67 Middlesbrough 2 QPR 2 (Marsh, Lazarus)

1966/67 QPR 4 Middlesbrough 0 (Marsh 3, L Allen)

1946/47 Middlesbrough 3 QPR 1** (Boxshall)

1946/47 QPR 1 Middlesbrough 1** (Pattison)

1912/13 Middlesbrough 3 QPR 2**

** - FA Cup

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