Blackburn boss Steve Kean was relieved to see his team emerge triumphant against QPR at Ewood Park after they almost squandered a three-goal lead.
Rovers looked set for a comfortable Saturday afternoon at halftime, with strikes from Ayegbeni Yakubu (15), Steven Nzonzi (23) and a Nedum Onuoha own goal (45) putting them firmly in the driving seat.
But after Yakubu – returning to the side from suspension – had hit the crossbar with a chip eight minutes into the second half, the visitors mounted a fightback, substitute Jamie Mackie netting twice to set up a tense finale.
The hosts, who had been humiliated 7-1 at Arsenal a week earlier, managed to hold on for the 3-2 win and Kean said: “I felt the first-half display was really exceptional and I think we put to bed the disappointment of the Arsenal game a little bit.
“We worked really hard this week on trying to get pressure on the ball and making sure we could hold the high lines, and I thought in the first half we were brilliant.
“Then we had Yakubu’s chance to go to 4-0, and I felt after that, that QPR thought they didn’t really have anything to lose, so they started throwing all sorts at it.
“They changed their shape, went very offensive and I think once the first goal went in, we had a bit of a wobble and got a little bit nervous – which is understandable considering how many young players we have got in the team.”
Mackie’s goals – his first came with just under 20 minutes to go and his second in the very closing stages – did inflict some damage on Blackburn in that a win by two or more would have seen them move out of the English Premier League relegation zone and send QPR into it.
As it is, the London outfit stay where they are in 16th, while Rovers are only up a place to 18th, with both clubs level on 21 points from 25 games.
The gap to safety has been narrowed for Kean’s men, though, and a victory of any kind will be a boost to their morale after the debacle at the Emirates Stadium.
Another major positive for the hosts was the sight of top scorer Yakubu, who had been banned for three games following his sending-off against Fulham, back playing and notching his 14th goal of the season.
“The Yak gets a goal like that and all of a sudden the confidence flows back through the side,” Kean said.
“It goes to two and then to three, and then he hits the bar.
“I think he has shown what a good player and goalscorer he is.
“We have missed him and we are glad he is back.”
QPR’s former Blackburn manager Mark Hughes felt his side’s first-half display was unacceptable and as bad as any he could remember from players under his guidance.
“You can’t give any Premier League team a three-goal head start,” Hughes, who took charge of the R’s in January, said.
“We were very poor in that first half. The first 45 minutes were arguably the poorest we have been since I came through the door here and arguably of any of the teams I have been involved with to be honest.
“It’s understandable in that we haven’t been through the door for any great length of time, but there shouldn’t be a difference in performance of that size (between the first half and second half).
“The first half wasn’t acceptable, although we will take a little bit of comfort from the second half because I thought we then completely dominated proceedings.”