Match Report Queens Park Rangers (0) 0-0 (0) Fulham Queens Park Rangers 0-2 Fulham AET FA Cup 3rd Round 2021 at Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium Saturday 9th January 2021    KO: 15:00 Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire) Live on BBC iPlayer / BBC Sport Website

Fulham Striker Bobby De Cordova-Reid

More Bobby De Cordova-Reid

His Wiki page

The local bragging rights and fourth round place eventually went to Fulham after they struck twice in extra-time to finally see off QPR.

Subs Bobby Decordova-Reid and Neeskens Kebano scored in the first half of the added 30 minutes to send Fulham into the hat for the next round.

For a long time it seemed like neither side wanted to go through as they both missed a string of chances in normal time.

But Scott Parker’s changes made the difference as they returned to action after two weeks of Covid-19 related inactivity to win this West London derby ahead of another on Friday against Chelsea.

Both sides were back in action for the first time this year after coronavirus-enforced breaks.

Fulham midfielder Neeskens Kebano

More Neeskens Kebano Stories

His Wiki page

Fulham had been forced to ask for two games to be postponed after an outbreak in their camp while QPR’s planned 2020 opener against Luton also had to be rescheduled due to problems for the Hatters.

Against their struggling Championship hosts, Parker’s side looked a little more like the one that escaped the division last season after he made seven changes.

Among those back in was striker Aleksandar Mitrovic one of the Premier League players in his manager’s bad books for breaching Covid-19 regulations over the festive and New Year period.

QPR, fifth bottom and winless in nine, made just one alteration. Not only did they need to find a result to inject some confidence into Mark Warburton’s start but this was an opportunity to cause an upset.

They began with intent, Macauley Bonne heading over Tom Carroll’s corner before QPR’s bright and prominent playmaker Ilias Chair warmed up Marek Rodak.

Fulham threatened properly for the first time 20 minutes in. Sen Dieng raced off his line alertly to deal with Joe Bryan’s through ball but his clearance only ricocheted back to the Fulham left-back, whose attempt to beat the backtracking QPR keeper from 40 yards sailed inches wide.

Match Stats	QPR	Fulham
Goals	(0) 0	0 (0)
Goals AET	0	2
Scorers		De Cordova-Reid 104
		Kebano 108
Goal attempts	0	0
On target	12	16
Shooting Accuracy	5%	6%
Possession	44%	56%
Passes Success	78%	82%
Corners	10	4
Tackles Success	44%	28%
Saves	3	5
Fouls	12	8
Yellows	3	0
Reds	0	0
source: SkySports

After his audacious Wembley wonder-goal from similar range to win Fulham promotion via the play-offs in August, if there was one man who could have pulled off such an attempt it was Bryan.

Josh Onamah dragged an effort wide and Aleksandar Mitrovic headed off target, either side of the Serbian being denied by a brilliant goal-saving tackle from Yoann Barbet as Fulham asked more of the questions as the half wore on.

Mitrovic had another sniff of goal early in the second half but his attempted control of Harrison Reed’s cross was too heavy before. Bonne did too for QPR but sliced his volley over after Terence Kongolo could only half clear Todd Kane’s cross.

Bryan for Fulham and Chair for QPR were next to try their luck without reward as efforts continued to come at both ends.

Just after the hour it really should have been Fulham who ended the wait for the opener.

Onamah sent Ivan Cavaleiro through and he was clear in on goal with time on his side.

He took too much of it to make up his mind before passing responsibility to Mitrovic whose eventual shot was blocked on the line by Barbet, the Frenchman’s second bit of exceptional defending.

The action then swung to the other end once more, Bonne blocked by the onrushing Rodak who then got a crucial touch on Dominic Ball’s effort from a tight angle.

Lyndon Dykes really should have broken the deadlock for QPR after getting two chances in quick succession. Firstly, Dieng’s clearance put him in the clear but he blasted wastefully high and wide.

Then Osayi-Samuel’s cross needed just a touch as it fizzed across Rodak’s goal but neither sub Charlie Kelman or Dykes could apply it, the latter charging in with such speed he could not stop his run and ended off running down the away team’s tunnel behind the goal.

The sense that neither side wanted to win this continued in extra time when Decordova-Reid turned Bryan’s clipped cross wide from a free header six yards out.

But finally, there was a goal, a few minutes later when the same man exchanged passes with Mitrovic and fired past Dieng from the edge of the box.

Reid, along with Bryan and Onamah, then helped set up Kebano to make it 2-0 four minutes later with a thumping finish for his first goal of the season.

Queens Park Rangers: Dieng, Cameron (Masterson 90), Dickie, Barbet, Kane, Ball, Carroll (Bettache 82), Chair (Thomas 82), Osayi-Samuel (Hamalainen 90), Bonne (Kelman 73), Dykes.

Unused substitutes: Willock, Barnes, Adomah

Booked: Cameron (35,f), Barbet (112,f), Hämäläinen (115,f)

Fulham: Rodak, Aina, Ream, Kongolo (Hector 68), Tete (Odoi 90), Reed (Kebano 78), Onomah, Bryan, Loftus-Cheek (Robinson 90), Cavaleiro (De Cordova-Reid 67), Mitrovic.

Unused substitutes: Fabri, Tosin, Carvalho, Jasper.

Goals:
De Cordova-Reid 104 (right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Aleksandar Mitrovic.)
Kebano 108 (right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Josh Onomah.)

Referee: Simon Hooper (Wiltshire)

Attendance: 0