QUEENS Park Rangers secured their Championship status for next season by hammering Leeds United 4-0 at Loftus Road on Friday night – a result that confirmed Leicester City’s promotion to the Premier League.
First-half goals from Ilias Chair and Lucas Andersen were followed in the second half by headers from Lyndon Dykes and Sam Field as the R’s moved up to sixteenth in the table with 53 points.
Leeds stay second but will finish in the play-offs if Ipswich Town win two of their last three games to seal a second successive promotion.
QPR had lost six consecutive league games when Marti Cifuentes replaced the sacked Gareth Ainsworth last October and only exited the relegation zone in February.
After a difficult Christmas and New Year when they didn’t win in seven games, they have lost just four times in their last eighteen, winning nine.
“Definitely it has been a fantastic evening,” Cifuentes said. “We worked really hard to get this kind of performance and result.
“I’m very happy for all the players, for the fans that have been amazing helping us all the way. And for the club because it was a difficult task. We managed to get the Great Escape.
“Today it was almost everything perfect, last game at home this season and in front of our supporters, to get this kind of performance against a fantastic football team as is Leeds, that takes a lot of credit for the guys.”
