Ellis Simms scores twice as Coventry ease to victory at strugglers QPR

Posted Sunday, October 01, 2023 by PA

Ellis Simms scored his first goals for Coventry as they stormed to a 3-1 victory at QPR.

The Sky Blues netted three times in the space of 12 second-half minutes, with Simms finding the target twice and Josh Eccles getting their other goal in a comprehensive win for Mark Robins’ side.

Kenneth Paal scored a consolation in stoppage time for the hosts.

The defeat continued a miserable run at Loftus Road for Rangers, who have won just once at home in almost a year and have lost four of their five matches there so far this season.

They were denied a first-half opener by City goalkeeper Ben Wilson superbly pushing away Lyndon Dykes’ glancing header from Paal’s cross.

Dykes sent another effort wide before the interval, but the visitors took complete control in the second half.

Striker Simms, signed from Everton during the summer, opened his account to break the deadlock after 56 minutes.

After Osman Kakay’s unnecessary foul on Jamie Allen, Jay Dasilva’s delivery into the box ricocheted off City’s Luis Binks towards Simms, who made the most of his good fortune.

Coventry also had luck on their side for the second goal, scored four minutes later – this time after a double deflection.

Matt Godden’s shot struck team-mate Joel Latibeaudiere to inadvertently tee up Eccles, whose shot took a deflection off Kakay to completely wrong-foot keeper Asmir Begovic.

City seemed to ride their luck once again when Rangers were not awarded a penalty, despite Wilson appearing to upend Sinclair Armstrong in the area just after the young striker had been brought on as a substitute.

And there was no way back for QPR after an emphatic finish from Simms made it three after 68 minutes.

Allen played an excellent ball in behind the R’s defence and Simms fired into the roof of the net.

Paal reduced the deficit after Armstrong pulled the ball back for the Dutch wing-back, whose goal was his third of the season, making him QPR’s top scorer.

Boss Robins will hope this fine win proves to be a turning point for last season’s beaten play-off finalists, who have endured a disappointing start to the Championship season.

However, the pressure is on his Rangers counterpart Gareth Ainsworth. Rangers were almost relegated under him last season and were widely tipped to struggle this term, with their home form a major concern.