Wolves 0-3 QPR: Captain Joey Barton scores first goal for club as Neil Warnock’s side claim second away win

Early goals from Joey Barton and Alejandro Faurlin and a second-half effort from DJ Campbell set Queens Park Rangers on their way to an impressive 3-0 away victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.

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Mick McCarthy’s team, who had enjoyed such a positive start to their campaign with wins over Blackburn Rovers and Fulham, are unlikely to turn in a poorer performance this season and have now lost two on the bounce.

They have also failed to score a Premier League goal since those successive victories, and on the evidence of this display it was easy to see why.

A lacklustre performance from the home side should not undermine an excellent QPR display, however. The Hoops picked up their second Premier League win and bettered Wolves throughout, with the quality of Faurlin in particular shining through, with the Argentine Rangers’ creative hub in the centre of midfield.

Wolves made two changes to their side, with Stephen Ward moving to attack to replace the injured Steven Fletcher and George Elokobi filling in at left-back. Matt Jarvis returned to the wing with Stephen Hunt dropping to the bench.

Neil Warnock stuck with the QPR side that drew 0-0 against Newcastle and his players rewarded him with two goals inside the opening 10 minutes.

Faurlin’s ball into the box was volleyed back across the penalty area by Shaun Wright-Phillips and Barton, Rangers’ new captain, was able to guide the ball into the bottom corner.

Minutes later the lead was doubled when both Elokobi and Richard Stearman failed to clear their lines properly. A weak header from the latter dropped to Faurlin who, from 20 yards out, volleyed sweetly past Wayne Hennessey to leave the Molineux crowd stunned.

                     Captain Fantastic | Joey Barton celebrates opening his account for QPR

Wolves seemed to respond well, with Jarvis becoming more of a factor on the left-hand side. A cross aimed at the arriving Stearman saw the defender go down under the challenge of Adel Taraabt and the ball fell to Karl Henry, whose shot from the edge of the box hit the post and bounced wide with Stearman appealing for a penalty.

That revival was short-lived, however, as QPR began to re-assert their dominance with some stylish passing football. Taraabt was proving a constant thorn in the side of the Wolves defence but couldn’t quite find an accurate final ball, first passing slightly too long for the onrushing Wright-Phillips, before having a likely goal-bound shot of his own blocked.

Barton then shot just wide before Stearman did just enough to put Wright-Phillips off when through on goal, as referee Anthony Taylor called time on the first half to the relief of McCarthy, with the Wolves team leaving the pitch to a chorus of boos.

Sam Vokes and Adlene Guedioura were introduced at the break in place of Elokobi and Michael Kightly, but did little to pick up the quality of Wolves’ attacking play. Paddy Kenny remained largely untested and Rangers were quite happy to sit back and force the hosts to seize the initiative, which they failed to do.

In a half of few chances Wright-Phillips hit the post after cutting inside from the left wing, before the ex-Manchester City man released the superb Armand Traore, his cross allowing substitute Campbell to poke home his first goal for his boyhood club.

Kenny was finally forced into a save in the dying minutes, keeping out Jamie O’Hara’s curling free-kick, but a stern Rangers defence held on to secure their second successive clean sheet with Tony Fernandes’ late investment in players paying immediate dividends.