QPR boost survival bid

West Bromwich - Bobby Zamora scored with a sublime lob as Queens Park Rangers fired their hopes of Premier League survival with an emphatic 4-1 win at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

West Brom had previously gone three home games without conceding, but Chris Ramsey's side blew straight through the hosts' defences courtesy of first-half goals from Eduardo Vargas, top scorer Charlie Austin and Zamora.

The hosts hit back through substitute Victor Anichebe, only to lose substitute Youssouf Mulumbu to a straight red card for a foul on Joey Barton, who scored the visitors' fourth goal in stoppage time.

The win ended a run of five straight defeats for QPR, who climbed above Burnley on goal difference and moved to within a point of safety, while West Brom remain eight points clear of the relegation zone in 14th place.

West Brom recalled Brown Ideye after he missed the 3-0 loss at Manchester City with a knee injury and he went close early on with a looping header from Darren Fletcher's cross.

But just a minute later QPR went ahead, with Vargas gathering a flick-on from Austin and arrowing a fine, angled drive into the bottom-left corner from 25 yards.

Ideye then shot inches wide from Chris Baird's cross before Vargas was forced off by a knee injury, but any sense that the tide might be turning was banished eight minutes prior to half-time.

Niko Kranjcar, who had replaced Vargas, flicked on Matt Phillips's right-wing corner and Austin flew in to head home at the back post.

Zamora's masterpiece arrived two minutes before the interval.

Cantering onto Phillips's pass down the inside-right channel, the 34-year-old striker reached the apex of the penalty area and lifted an exquisite lob over Boaz Myhill with the outside of his left foot.

West Brom manager Tony Pulis shuffled his attack at half-time by sending on Anichebe for Stephane Sessegnon and the Nigerian was quick to make an impact, heading in Saido Berahino's 58th-minute cross.

But there was to be no late rally from the hosts, who saw Mulumbu sent off within seconds of coming on for leading with his arm in a jarring aerial challenge with Barton.

Barton had the final say, hammering home a loose ball in the 95th minute to claim his first goal in almost a year.