Birmingham City 0-2 QPR

Harry Redknapp got his wish when he hoped Birmingham’s home form would ‘screw them.’

To add salt to City wounds, the player Lee Clark reckoned the new Paul Gascoigne came back to hit a brace.

Ravel Morrison’s fabulous free-kick on 14 minutes was up and over the wall and past an unsighted Darren Randoph in a flash. A second 17 minutes from time brought massive relief for Rangers as they secured their sixth win on the road, and a first anywhere for six games.

It was the West Ham loanee’s first goals in Hoops, and for Brum manager Clark who had Morrison on loan last season it was a prophecy come back to bite him.

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And in a week when both clubs were headline makers for the wrong reasons, Joey Barton’s unsung return showed what Rangers had been missing.

The midfielder’s dead-ball kicks caused havoc in the Birmingham box all afternoon.

Clint Hill was a lick of paint from heading home after he latched on to the end of one such delivery, and other Barton bullets saw City scrambling around their penalty area in desperation.

Paul Robinson’s deserved yellow card for a nasty challenge on Kevin Doyle punished the Blues twice.

Morrison’s flighted free-kick from 19 yards had keeper Darren Randolph complaining he didn’t see the arrow – the former Brum loanee could care less as he clenched his fist in delight.

Armand Traore was grateful a couple of team-mates were offside when a decent chance fell to his favoured left foot only to fumble the chance at the second the flag went up.

It would have been 2-0 had the bar been thinner. Hill thumped it with a towering header from Barton’s free-kick five minutes before the break.

Emyr Huws shot just after the break needed QPR keeper Rob Green to be alert, and a second distance effort from Tom Adeyemi flew over the keeper’s bar a couple of minutes later - but that was as good as it got for a struggling Midlands giant.

Morrison’s delightful pass played in Jermaine Jenas for a nice finish on 56 minutes – only to glance sideways and see another offside flag.

It mattered not when perfect sub Gary O’Neil saw his first centre from the left side-footed home with aplomb by Morrison. Kevin Doyle's limp as he made way for Will Keane six minutes from time was the only minor blip on a great day.

Disgraced Birmingham owner Carson Yeung is getting his first taste of Hong Kong porridge. Redknapp’s get-out-of jail card may yet depend on the combined efforts of Barton and Morrison.

4-4-1-1: Green, Onuoha, Dunne, Hill, Assou-Ekotto; Hoilett (O’Neil 70), Barton, Jenas , Traore; Morrison (Carroll 87); Doyle (Keane 84); subs not used: Murphy, Hughes, Henry, Benayoun