Queens Park Rangers 0-1 Scunthorpe United
Report from Loftus Road

Click here for a detailed minute-by-minute analysis from the game

United recorded a vitally important 1-0 away victory at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

Garry Thompson's strike 15 minutes from time, after great work by Gary Hooper, handed the Iron all three points at Loftus Road.

It was an even game but Scunthorpe held firm to shut out the Hoops and register their second straight away win, extending their unbeaten league run to four games.

The Iron entered the encounter making no changes from the side which beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 in midweek.

Surprisingly, despite claiming ahead of the game that a number of players will be tired, manager Nigel Adkins kept faith with the side that saw off the Owls.

Joe Murphy started in goal, with Cliff Byrne, Rob Jones, David Mirfin and Marcus Williams forming the defence.

The midfield consisted of Garry Thompson, Sam Togwell, Grant McCann and Martyn Woolford, while Paul Hayes partnered Gary Hooper up front.

There was a change on the substitutes' bench as Michael O'Connor, back from a two-match ban, replaced Matt Sparrow. Also there were Josh Lillis, Jonathan Forte, Josh Wright, Donal McDermott, Ian Morris and Brendan Moloney.

It was a bright and breezy afternoon at Loftus Road and, with Scunthorpe wearing claret and blue, kicking off the game. They started tenaciously as Woolford and Togwell both had shots blocked in the opening 20 seconds.

And just five minutes later, Hooper almost put his side ahead as the ball dropped to him following Thompson's charge into the area as he struck a low shot which Carl Ikeme tipped out for a corner.

The subsequent set-piece was quickly taken and the ball reached Hayes, who clipped a shot only just onto the top of the netting.

Soon after, the hosts began to press further but couldn't really create a clear-cut opening.

Akos Buzsaky, always a significant threat against United in the past, curled a strike over the crossbar as the hosts continued to have the better of the possession.

In the 22nd minute, Murphy was drawn into a superb stop from Adel Taarabt, as the on-loan Tottenham man struck a shot just across goal which the Irishman tipped to safety.

As the half wore on, Scunthorpe were getting more into the game though and Togwell tried to catch Ikeme off his line with a long distance shot which just cleared the crossbar.

The Hoops thought they had gone ahead when Jay Simpson raced through and rounded Murphy before firing into the back of the net but it was ruled out for offside.

Jones, up for an earlier corner, drew a stop from Ikeme with a header from McCann's cross in the 40th minute as the game appeared to be coming to half-time scoreless.

Scunthorpe were presented with their best chance of the game just before the break as McCann took a short corner to Hooper, who played in McCann with a backheel, and the Northern Ireland international's effort from an acute angle was blocked, while Togwell's rebound cleared the crossbar.

United had the better of the final stages of the opening half but couldn't find the goal which would have put them ahead at the break.

Scunthorpe made a double change at the break as Mirfin, who was suffering from a dead leg ahead of the game, and Woolford were replaced by Josh Wright and debutant Donal McDermott.

Byrne switched to the centre of defence to cover Mirfin's absence while Togwell dropped to right-back.

And five minutes into the second-half, McDermott had a shot deflected wide for a corner but nothing came from the following corner.

The Hoops pressed hard at the beginning of the second period but the longer they went without scoring the more frustrated the home support became.

On the break, Hayes combined well with Thompson and the former drove a thunderous shot just wide of Ikeme's bottom left-hand post.

Simpson had a shot deflected into the arms of Murphy, soon after Buzsaky's shot across goal went wide but seemed covered by the Irish 'stopper.

It was becoming an end to end encounter and Hooper hooked a volley into the arms of Ikeme after Togwell's long throw had caused problems in the hosts' penalty area.

It seemed like the ball just wasn't dropping in the right areas for the Iron but Thompson latched on to a loose ball to play in Hayes, whose powerful effort was kept out by the palm of Ikeme in the 64th minute.

It looked incresingly like a goal was on the way, but which way was it going to go? The Iron had the ball in the net in the 67th minute when Hooper's superb header from a Thompson cross beat Ikeme but it was chalked off for a push by the striker.

Moments later, Murphy had to make an outstanding save soon after from Taarabt's powerful drive, tipping wide as an exciting second half continued.

But Scunthorpe did go ahead in the 74th minute as Thompson was laid the ball on a plate by Hooper, who worked hard to bring the ball into the area after McDermott's long range pass, and sent the ball across goal for the winger to fire past Ikeme from close range for his third goal of the season.

As you would expect, it was all pressure from the hosts from this point on, but the Iron restricted their chances in what was a tense end to a great afternoon's entertainment.

There was a late change from the visitors as Forte replaced Hooper in an effort to whittle down time.

Three minutes of stoppage time were indicated but QPR couldn't break down Scunthorpe's resolve as they took the three points back with them to North Lincolnshire.

Nigel Adkins' side are next in action on Saturday when they host Crystal Palace.

Attendance: 13,105 (615 away).