Cisse’s late winner could prove vital for QPR

QPR 1 STOKE CITY 0: Rangers manager Mark Hughes praised the impact of substitute Djibril Cisse after the Frenchman scored a dramatic late winner against Stoke to move the club a step closer to Barclays Premier League survival. In an uneventful game that seemed to be petering out into a scoreless draw, Cisse came off the bench to bury an 89th-minute winner.

Cisse, 30, has scored five goals and been sent off twice in his seven QPR appearances since his move to Loftus Road in the January transfer window, and Hughes has been happy to deal with the dismissals if the former Liverpool striker’s goals help the club survive. “I’m delighted for Djibril,” he said. “Obviously it has been a little bit stop-start for him and invariably when he has played and been on the pitch he has made an impact in terms of scoring and been involved in key moments. We left it late. It was difficult to replicate the momentum we’ve generated in recent weeks. You hope something will happen and thankfully it did.”

The narrow win, coupled with West Brom’s draw with Bolton, means QPR are now two points clear of the relegation zone with a trip to title-chasing Manchester City on the final day of the season.