QPR 0 West Brom 1 - Report

The defender, often-maligned and villain of the piece with a late red card in the previous away game at Millwall, rose to power home a downward header to earn Corberan's men the win in a hard-fought, determined and satisfying victory in west London.

Not since the final two fixtures of last season - when there was little meaning to things against Reading and Barnsley - have Albion managed to string back-to-back victories together.

Today's success in the capital may still leave them 22nd and in the bottom three, but Albion are now just a single point adrift of safety and appear to be heading in the right direction under the new boss.

A booming away end chanted "Kyle Bartley Ballon d'Or" at Loftus Road as the unlikely hero crashed home the winner from what feels like Albion's first set-piece goal in many months.

The victory also made it back-to-back clean sheets, which have been so hard to come across this season under former boss Steve Bruce.

Visiting fans departed into the London night going through a rendition of chants after a fantastic victory against the side who started the day fourth in the Championship.

It was not a pretty 95 minutes or a thrillingly encouraging performance, but it matters not when the Baggies have often this season took nothing from games in which they have played well and created chance after chance.

Instead, after an impressive first 20 minutes from the visitors, QPR were on top for much of the contest but Albion, with Bartley and Dara O'Shea rock-solid at the back, rode a few storms to claim the win.

It is more satisfying that Albion head back up to the Black Country with the spoils having not turned out the most stylish and eye-catching performance. It bodes well moving forward.

Karlan Grant's ankle injury sustained in Tuesday's win over Blackpool meant at least one change for Corberan, but the head coach elected to make three alterations to his side in west London.

In Erik Pieters, Jayson Molumby - for his 50th Albion appearance - and Grady Diangana for Conor Townsend, Taylor Gardner-Hickman and the injured Grant.

Pieters' experience added to Bartley and Matty Phillips in the visitors' XI as Corberan looked for some know-how in his ranks.

Bartley retained his role at the heart of defence while, for Phillips at his previous club, there was a slightly unfamiliar role as the lone forward.

Phillips, 31, spent three years at Loftus Road - where he featured almost 100 times - before switching White City for the Black Country in 2016.

There was no place in the Baggies' matchday 18 for striker Daryl Dike, the long-term injury absentee who this week returned to full training, but was not deemed ready for the penultimate fixture before the World Cup break.

Michael Beale's Rs featured three former Baggies including Sam Field, Tim Iroegbunam and Chris Willock - the latter two, an exciting academy product and loanee from Benfica respectively - did not play a single minute for the Albion first team.

A QPR midfield of Field and Iroegbunam - from Stourbridge and Great Barr respectively - was particular galling for Albion fans, with both products of the visitors' academy before moving on.

Beale, of course, had QPR flying in fourth ahead of kick-off after a fantastic start to the season that had attracted interest from Baggies rivals Wolves and only an 11th-hour change of heart stopped Beale from succeeding Bruno Lage at Molineux.

The Rs were winless in their last two games and brought Willock back into the side for Andre Dozzell.

Corberan's side started much the better of the two sides and should have had something to show from a totally dominant first 10 minutes.

Only Diangana will know how he was unable to convert from three yards out with the goal gaping after goalkeeper Seny Dieng had saved from Molumby.

The winger had almost the entire goal to find with the keeper stranded from an insufficient parry, but he was unable to make contact with a bouncing ball and the gilt-edged chance came and went.

It wasn't Albion's only big early chance. Right-back Darnell Furlong, who came through the QPR academy at the club his dad Paul was a favourite, should have at least stretched Dieng with a back-post header from John Swift's corner but got his effort all wrong as it spun wide.

Swift then sent a deflected low strike wide of the left post from Diangana's low pull back from the left.

Albion, once more under Corberan, looked like a cohesive and drilled unit as the hosts struggled early on.

A little turning point, or at least check of momentum, came as the returning Pieters collected an early yellow card for a trip on bright Rs right-back Ethan Laird, meaning a Dutchman would be treading a tightrope for the next 75 minutes.

The hosts gained some momentum particularly down their right and as the half past its midway point there was an Albion scare in the form of their former youngster Iroegbunam, who drilled a left-footed shot narrowly wide of the left post.

QPR then drew the best of Albion's Alex Palmer in goal. The away defence dropped off and striker Lyndon Dykes was found in the D outside the visitors' box.

Dykes unleashed a fierce left-footed half-volley that looked set for the bottom right corner, until Palmer got down sharply to his left to make a fine save.

The hosts re-established their control from the interval as it felt a head of steam was building in Loftus Road.

O'Shea performed well in making a number of important blocks, clearances and interceptions as QPR upped the ante with crosses into the box and shots from distance.

Jed Wallace might have offered Albion some respite having been sent racing clear. He opted to avoid Diangana in the box and looked to find the near post but could only send a cross-shot into the side netting.

But the hosts kept coming and more O'Shea work was needed to deflect an effort from captain Elias Chair over the crossbar. Rs defender Rob Dickie then failed to make connection with what appeared a free header from left-back Kenneth Paal's cross.

Corberan rolled the dice and introduced Brandon Thomas-Asante for Giangana, in doing so he shifted Phillips out to the left.

And four minutes later there was lift-off in the away end behind the goal Albion attacked as the visitors took the lead.

The goal owed much to Thomas-Asante and Wallace's combination on halfway as Albion progressed into the hosts' half. The move broke down, but out of nowhere charged Bartley - who had flew up from the back - to draw a free-kick from Field, who was cautioned.

Swift stood over the dead ball, 25 yards out to the right, and curled in a peach of a delivery towards the back post, where up climbed Bartley with a towering leap to thump an unstoppable downward header beyond the helpless Dieng.

The big defender, much-maligned at times this season, slid on his knees in front of the away end with his fingers in his ears. Albion fans went wild and began to chant "Kyle Bartley Ballon d'Or".

Albion tails were understandably up as Thomas-Asante's acrobatic effort flew wide across goal before the busy striker headed harmlessly wide.

A Rs response was always forthcoming, due to the threat they had posed for much of the contest.

But Albion, having sent on Adam Reach and Townsend, managed the final stages well. There was concern as home sub Albert Adomah went over in a tangle of legs but referee Thomas Bramall waved the action on.

The closest QPR came was through ex-Baggie Willock. The former Benfica man showed neat feet outside the box and his low strike from the right corner of the box flashed low and narrowly wide of a diving Palmer's post.

That was about all the home side could muster as Albion eased through five comfortable minutes of stoppages.

Supporters left singing into the night on the occasion confidence and belief in the new regime flooded through the veins of Baggies everywhere.

Teams

QPR (4-2-3-1): Dieng; Laird (Armstrong, 90), Dickie, Balogun, Paal; Amos (Dozzell, 60), Field; Willock, Chair (c), Iroegbunam (Adomah, 83); Dykes.

Subs not used: Archer, Dunne, Thomas, Shodipo.

Albion (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Furlong, O'Shea, Bartley, Pieters (Townsend, 83); Molumby, Yokuslu (Gardner-Hickman, 90); Wallace (Livermore, 90), Swift, Diangana (Thomas-Asante, 64); Phillips (Reach, 83).

Subs not used: Button, Rogic.

Attendance: 17,139 (1,407 Albion fans)

Referee: Thomas Bramall