Premier League: QPR 2 Fulham 1

QPR finally ended their Premier League winless run, as Adel Taarabt inspired his side to a 2-1 win over Fulham at Loftus Road.

Taarabt struck twice in the second half for Harry Redknapp’s men before a late Mladen Petric strike for the visitors forced a nervy finish.

Before the game, Redknapp suggested that two wins would make QPR’s season a ‘different game’. Well, here was the first – and their first in 17 league games this season.

Redknapp opted to keep Rob Green between the posts, despite Julio Cesar returning from a groin injury, with Djibril Cisse, Nedum Onuoha and Alejandro Faurlin also being handed places in an attacking 4-3-3 formation.

By contrast, the visitors only made one change from their 2-1 win over Newcastle, with Kieran Richardson replacing Alexander Kacaniklic and Mark Schwarzer, Sascha Riether, Aaron Hughes and Steve Sidwell all continuing their run of starting every league match this season.

Martin Jol’s men headed into proceedings looking to achieve back-to-back league wins for the first time since September, but seemed haunted early on by the knowledge they had won just once on the road this season.

Indeed, it was QPR who started dominantly, typifying what every Redknapp side in the past decade has been about: energy and dynamism.

And the twinkle in the eye of Taarabt – who has clearly been awarded plenty of freedom by Redknapp – almost presented the Hoops an immediate lead after the Moroccan played Cisse through on goal with a sublime ball.

But Cisse – sporting a fashionable beard– wasted the chance and fired wide again minutes later.

The Frenchman’s profligacy was clear for all to see, but it was astonishingly surpassed shortly afterwards when Jamie Mackie missed an absolute sitter.

A dreadful John Arne Riise back-pass left Mackie straight through on goal, but the 25-year-old sent his shot wide from inside the box when it appeared easier to score.

All the while, however, Fulham offered no threat in return; Dimitar Berbatov sat surprisingly deep and the Cottagers midfield looked happy enough to simply retain the ball.

But Taarabt looked determined to snatch the ball back at every opportunity, with every one of his runs finding space, every pass penetrating the Cottagers back line and every shot getting closer to finding the net.

And, after a goalless first half, the mercurial 23-year-old made the vital breakthrough as he found the ball in space and drove down the middle to fire from range on 52 minutes.

The ensuing shot took a fortunate deflection off Fulham skipper Brede Hangeland and found its way into the back of the net.

And 20 minutes later, Taarabt did it again. Hangeland, who must have been sick of the sight of the Moroccan by full-time, was robbed of the ball before he sent another finish low past Schwarzer.

A brilliant left-footed strike from Petric late on set up a frantic finish for the Hoops, however.

But this was the Taarabt show. And, in the end, there was nothing Fulham could do to stop it.