Post by londonranger on Mar 18, 2023 21:50:20 GMT
Rangers, who had leaked three goals inside the first quarter-of-an-hour during their 6-1 midweek drubbing at Blackpool, were quickly undone again as Birmingham scored with their first attack.
Bacuna, restored to the Blues' line-up after a two-game suspension, sped clear on the left flank and delivered a ball for Chong, who had all the time he needed to tuck it into the net from close-range.
The visitors might have increased their advantage, but George Hall was foiled by a timely block from Tim Iroegbunam and Jutkiewicz's glancing header soon afterwards was clawed away by Dieng.
Although Lyndon Dykes sent a drive whizzing over, QPR rarely threatened a response before half-time, but they improved after the break and Jimmy Dunne's header brought a save from Blues goalkeeper John Ruddy.
Dunne went close with another header from Stefan Johansen's cross, while substitute Sinclair Armstrong caused problems for the visitors' defence with a cameo in the final 15 minutes.
But they could not find a way through and it was only thanks to Dieng, tipping another Jutkiewicz attempt onto the woodwork at full stretch, that Birmingham had to battle through to the end.
It was the Blues' first victory in the capital since September 2019, when they triumphed 1-0 at Charlton.
QPR head coach Gareth Ainsworth told BBC London 94.9:
"Birmingham were very solid defensively and we could take a lesson from that, because the goal's too easy. That's the tale of the game really.
"They've thrown bodies in and defended their box like their lives depended on it. I wanted that from my boys and we did it second half, but we've got to start quicker and sharper than we did
"There was a set-piece where we've slashed at it and Seny [Dieng] made an unbelievable save, but that's a freakish thing. The rest, they've not had a clear-cut chance on our goal but we haven't had one on theirs either.
"We've got to test their keeper more. It's alright throwing the kitchen sink at them, but we just didn't have that bit of quality around the box."
Bacuna, restored to the Blues' line-up after a two-game suspension, sped clear on the left flank and delivered a ball for Chong, who had all the time he needed to tuck it into the net from close-range.
The visitors might have increased their advantage, but George Hall was foiled by a timely block from Tim Iroegbunam and Jutkiewicz's glancing header soon afterwards was clawed away by Dieng.
Although Lyndon Dykes sent a drive whizzing over, QPR rarely threatened a response before half-time, but they improved after the break and Jimmy Dunne's header brought a save from Blues goalkeeper John Ruddy.
Dunne went close with another header from Stefan Johansen's cross, while substitute Sinclair Armstrong caused problems for the visitors' defence with a cameo in the final 15 minutes.
But they could not find a way through and it was only thanks to Dieng, tipping another Jutkiewicz attempt onto the woodwork at full stretch, that Birmingham had to battle through to the end.
It was the Blues' first victory in the capital since September 2019, when they triumphed 1-0 at Charlton.
QPR head coach Gareth Ainsworth told BBC London 94.9:
"Birmingham were very solid defensively and we could take a lesson from that, because the goal's too easy. That's the tale of the game really.
"They've thrown bodies in and defended their box like their lives depended on it. I wanted that from my boys and we did it second half, but we've got to start quicker and sharper than we did
"There was a set-piece where we've slashed at it and Seny [Dieng] made an unbelievable save, but that's a freakish thing. The rest, they've not had a clear-cut chance on our goal but we haven't had one on theirs either.
"We've got to test their keeper more. It's alright throwing the kitchen sink at them, but we just didn't have that bit of quality around the box."