QPR 1-0 West Brom - Report
It was a day that was supposed to be all about Albion's new striker.
But in the end it was an old one that came back to haunt them with Charlie Austin netting the only goal to see QPR secure a 1-0 win at Loftus Road.
In what was an open and entertaining game in the capital, Albion were the better team in the first-half before QPR had a flurry of chances shortly after the re-start.
The introduction of the man all Albion fans wanted to see - Daryl Dike - helped swing the momentum back towards Valerien Ismael's side.
But QPR then threw on Austin - with the game end-to-end from that point.
And it was the 32-year-old who won it minute when he headed in a Chris Willock cross at the back post in the 89th minute.
REPORT
All the talk ahead of the game was who Ismael would pick at centre-back with Cedric Kipre suspended, Semi Ajayi at the African Cup of Nations, Kyle Bartley and Kean Bryan injured and Dara O'Shea having only just returned to training following ankle surgery.
And in an intriguing move, the boss opted to move both Darnell Furlong and Conor Townsend from wing-back into the back three where they were joined by Matt Clarke.
That meant Taylor Gardner-Hickman started at right wing-back with Adam Reach on the left.
Jake Livermore and Jayson Molumby were the midfield two with Callum Robinson, Matt Phillips and Karlan Grant the three-pronged attack in Ismael's 3-4-3 system.
New recruit Daryl Dike - snapped up in a £7million deal from Orlando City - was named among the substitutes.
QPR lined up in a 3-4-1-2 system with their central midfield consisting of two former Albion players in Sam Field and Stefan Johansen.
Another ex Baggie - Chris Willock - was in the number 10 role with Andre Gray partnering Lyndon Dykes up front.
It was Albion who started the game the brighter of the two teams with the opening half-an-hour largely played in QPR's half.
And they came close to opening the scoring when Grant sent in a wonderfully inviting low cross that a stretching Phillips was inches away from tapping home.
Gradually, QPR began to grow into the game with the hosts having a few opportunities where they would have broken through Albion's high line with a better final ball.
And they created their first decent chance just before the break with Johansen letting fly from 25-yards only to see his strike parried away by a diving David Button.
Having been second-best in the first-half, QPR flew out the blocks following the re-start.
Gray fired into the back of the net only to see the goal ruled out after the striker had fouled Townsend in the build-up.
Lee Wallace then sent in a dangerous cross which Dykes side-footed over from close range.
As the hour mark approached, it was all QPR with Button making another decent stop to keep out a Willock strike from distance.
Ismael responded by introducing Dike for Phillips - with the introduction of the American made a massive difference.
Albion came a whisker away from opening the scoring when the striker produced a brilliant touch in the middle of the park to hold off a defender and then send Grant charging into the box.
He then sent in a low cross that as good as touched the goalline before sailing out of play.
Albion then thought they should have had a penalty when Townsend was bundled over in the box only to see referee Simon Hooper wave play.
With 10 minutes to go the game was so open it could have gone either way.
But in the 89th minute, Austin won it when he met a Willock delivery to guide home a header at the back post.
TEAMS
QPR (3-4-1-2): Marshall, Wallace, Dickie, Barbet, Dunne, Adomah, Johansen, Field, Willock (Ball 90), Dykes, Gray (Austin 64)
Subs not used: Walsh, Amos, Thomas, Dozzell, Odubajo.
Albion (3-4-3): Button, Furlong, Clarke, Townsend, Gardner-Hickman, Livermore, Molumby, Reach, Robinson, Phillips (Dike 59), Grant.
Subs not used: Palmer, Taylor, Ashworth, Castro, Fellows, Diangana.
