QPR 5-2 Nottingham Forest

QPR all but ensured themselves of a place in the top six after a thrilling win over play-off chasing Nottingham Forest.

First-half goals from Yossi Benayoun and Junior Hoilett put the home side in the ascendency, but goals either side of the break from Jamaal Lascelles and Matt Derbyshire meant the game looked to be heading for the draw.

But Harry Redknapp’s men send out a warning to their play-off final rivals in a dramatic five minutes with Nedum Onouha first smashing home, before injury-time goals from Ravel Morrison and Bobby Zamora put an emphatic gloss on the scoreline.

Harry Redknapp made three changes to the team which fell to a disappointing loss at Blackburn with Charlie Austin returning to the starting fold for the first time in three months, with Nedum Onuoha and Jermaine Jenas also returning from their respective injuries. Will Keane and Karl Henry dropped to the bench with Luke Young not named in the squad.

After successive defeats Rangers got off to the perfect start taking the lead after just 67 seconds when Yossi Benayoun was quickest to react after Karl Darlow could only parry Tom Carroll’s shot into his path.

Rangers continued to press for a second in a positive start to the game although they were dealt a blow as early as the 13th minute when Jenas went off injured with Henry his replacement.

Just four minutes later the Rs were mightily unlucky not to double their advantage with Austin inches away from diverting Assou-Ekotto’s teasing cross from the left-hand side.

Forest – without a win in 12 league games – responded accordingly going close through Simon Cox before they levelled proceedings on 37 minutes.

Sheer persistence from former Rs favourite Jamie Mackie was rewarded in the shape of a corner after Richard Dunne was forced into an error, and from Henri Lansbury’s corner Jamaal Lascelles was left unmarked to nod home and give the away side a foothold back into the game.

Rangers quickly regained the lead though as they went into half-time with the momentum, with Carroll again heavily involved in the build-up teeing up Hoilett with finished with aplomb inside the area to net his fourth goal of the season.

Both sides started the second half brightly with the visitors going the closer to scoring as Gonzalo Jara drilled a long-range effort just over Rob Green’s goal.

Forest swapped things around with a double substitution with Jara and Lansbury replaced by Ben Osborn and Jonathan Greening.

And they would go close just moments later as the Rangers defence again went missing from a Forest corner with Greg Halford’s header cleared off the line by Danny Simpson.

Rangers shuffled the pack with Bobby Zamora replacing the tiring Austin, with the visitors also making their third and final substitution with Darius Henderson replacing Simon Cox.

It was poor defending which Rangers would come unstuck from again as the visitors made it 2-2 with 15 minutes remaining as Matt Derbyshire was left unmarked to head home emphatically from Osborn’s corner.

But that wasn’t too be the end of the drama as Onuoha smashed home emphatically from close range to send the Rs faithful into raptures with five minutes remaining.

Up the other end Derbyshire could have notched his second of the game and in turn level proceedings but Green did well to keep out his header before Rangers finished off the game in devastating fashion.

Substitute Zamora, who earlier hit the post, then held up the ball expertly in the corner before teeing up Morrison for his sixth goal of the season to make it four, before Zamora himself got on the scoresheet after finishing superbly inside the area to cap a superb afternoon in west London for the Rs.

QPR: Green; Simpson, Dunne, Onuoha, BAE, Hoilett (Kranjcar,77) Jenas (Henry, 13) Carroll, Benayoun, Morrison, Austin (Zamora,75)

Subs (not used): Murphy, Keane, Yun, Hughes.

Att: 17,220