West Brom 7 QPR 1 - Report and pictures

But little did Albion News editor Dave Bowler know when the edition went to the press, that front page would end up being an apt memento of an incredibly magnificent day.

The Baggies sent a statement to the Championship at The Hawthorns this afternoon by smashing seven goals past a poor Queens Park Rangers side.

Matt Phillips scored twice, Jay Rodriguez crashed home two penalties, Dwight Gayle notched his first goal in Baggies blue and white, and there were further goals from Kieran Gibbs and Hal Robson-Kanu.

Although it was level at half-time, the Baggies raced away in the second half and the six-goal margin fairly reflects the chasm in quality between the two teams, particularly in the final third, where Albion sparkled once more.

Excitingly for those of a Baggies persuasion, Darren Moore appears to have found a system that can all his best players onto the pitch.

After trialling the 3-4-1-2 formation in the Carabao Cup in midweek, Albion's head coach rolled it out for this game with resounding success.

Even though he didn't score, Harvey Barnes sparkled in a free role behind the strikers, as the Baggies hunted in packs up front.

Moore made one change from the side that beat Norwich 4-3 last weekend, bringing in Tosin Adarabioyo for the now departed Allan Nyom.

And the Baggies started brightly, penning their visitors into their own half after taking a vice-like grip of possession.

The first 10 minutes were spent camped on the edge of QPR's box as they searched for a way through the pink wall.

Barnes was relishing his central role, jinking past players on the ball and winning it high up the pitch when he didn't have it.

Twelve minutes in he found Gibbs bursting forward on the overlap, but his low cross was cut out with Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle queuing up at the back post for a tap-in.

Chris Brunt picked up an early booking for Jordan Cousins down after losing possession to him, but that was a rare lapse in concentration from the men in blue and white.

Gayle nearly connected with an overhead kick after another attacking run down the left from Gibbs, before Rodriguez curled over after chesting down a pinpoint arrowed pass from Jake Livermore.

Massimo Luongo had a tame long-range effort easily held by Sam Johnstone, but the majority of QPR's chances were coming from Albion trying to play it out from the back.

But shortly before the half-hour mark, Albion deservedly broke the deadlock.

After winning the ball high up the pitch, Barnes tore away down the left hand side before squaring the ball to Gayle.

His low shot was well saved by Ingram, but it came out to Phillips, who drilled an unstoppable shot through the crowd to give Albion the lead against his former club.

But that work was undone almost immediately because QPR drew level within four minutes, and it was a simple equaliser to concede.

A free-kick was lobbed into the box and headed back across goal by Matt Smith for Joel Lynch to nod home.

That goal sparked McClaren's side into life, and they enjoyed a spell of pressure until half-time.

Luongo volleyed just over shortly after the break, as the visitors started the second half in better shape than the first.

But Harvey Barnes is a special talent, and Moore's decision to give him a free role was paying off.

In the 53rd minute, he picked up the ball on the right hand side, ghosted past his man with ease and hit the far post with his low shot.

It bounced out to Gibbs, who set himself before seeing his shot deflect into the top left hand corner.

Two minutes later and it was 3-1. Once again Albion won the ball high up the pitch and started swarming forward.

Gayle made a clever run and was tripped in the box just as he was about to pull the trigger.

Rodriguez crashed his spot-kick down the middle in front of the Birmingham Road End to send it into raptures and give the Baggies some breathing space.

But in the 67th minute, that gap became even larger when Gayle notched his first goal in blue and white stripes.

It was all too easy for the Baggies, who once again stole possession from QPR in their own possession, sending Gibbs away down the left.

His low cross was turned in by Gayle, who finally got the goal he so richly deserved.

Gayle's influence didn't stop there though, and in the 82nd minute he won his third penalty in two games when he was upended by Ingram in the box.

Rodriguez has benefited plenty from Gayle's industry, but the spot kicks still need to be converted.

This time he put his shot right into the corner and out of Ingram's reach for his fourth goal in two games.

That made it 5-1, but incredibly, that wasn't the end. In the 88th minute Phillips latched on to a knock down before calmly sweeping home his second and Albion's sixth.

And there was even time for substitute Hal Robson-Kanu to cap off the performance with a simple goal in injury time.

The Baggies will come up against much sterner opposition than Rangers this season, that's for sure, and they need to sort out their defending from set pieces. But those are minor issues on a memorable day.

That is three wins in a row in all competitions, and 11 goals from two games in the Championship.

With that frontline firing, Moore's team are going to be hard to stop.

Key moments

29 GOAL ALBION - Barnes bursts down the left hand side before squaring the ball to Gayle, whose blocked shot comes out to Phillips, who drills it in.

33' GOAL QPR - A free-kick is lobbed into the box and headed back across goal for Joel Lynch to nod home.

53' GOAL ALBION - Barnes hits the post but Gibbs follows it up to score his first Albion goal.

55' PENALTY ALBION - Rodriguez crashes a penalty down the middle after Gayle is tripped in the box.

67' GOAL ALBION - Gayle pokes in his first goal for Albion after latching onto Gibbs's cross.

82' PENALTY ALBION - Gayle is upended by Ingram and Rodriguez crashes home a fifth goal.

88' GOAL ALBION - Phillips latches onto a knock down and sweeps home his second goal of the game.

Man of the match

Harvey Barnes - Flourished in his free role and was the catalyst of so many of Albion's attacks.

Line-ups

Albion (3-4-1-2): Johnstone; Bartley, Hegazi, Adarabioyo; Gibbs, Brunt (c) (Barry 73), Livermore, Phillips; Barnes (Morrison 86); Rodriguez, Gayle (Robson-Kanu 83).

Unused subs: Myhill, Townsend, Field, Burke, Robson-Kanu.

QPR (4-1-4-1): Ingram; Kakay, Leistner, Lynch (Baptiste 77), Bidwell; Scowen, Cousins, Luongo; Freeman, Eze (Washington 58), Smith (Wszolek 81).

Unused subs: Lumley, Chair, Smyth, Sylla.

Referee: Tony Harrington

Attendance: 22,753 (1.169 away)