Queens Park Rangers staged a stirring fightback to reach the Championship playoff final as Charlie Austin’s double clinched a 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic in their semi-final second leg on Monday.
Harry Redknapp’s team, who had ground out a goalless draw in the first leg on Friday last week, fell behind early in the second leg at Loftus Road in London when James Perch struck for Wigan, but Austin, a ￡4 million (US$6.7 million) signing from Burnley in August last year, kept his nerve to convert a penalty with 17 minutes left and then bagged the winner in extra-time.
The Hoops face Derby County in the final at Wembley on May 24 as they look to secure an immediate return to the Premier League after last season’s relegation.
The side finishing fourth in the second tier has not won promotion to the Premier League since Charlton in 1997-1998, but QPR are still in with a chance of ending that sequence.
“All round it was a great performance, everybody worked hard. We showed great character. The players deserve it,” Redknapp said. “It’s a great night and now we’ve got a Wembley trip to look forward to. Steve McClaren has got a good side at Derby and it will be an interesting final.”
For the Latics, also relegated from the top-flight 12 months ago, there was frustration at a season of near-misses, which included an FA Cup semi-final defeat against Arsenal on penalties.
Uwe Rosler’s side had stunned Loftus Road when Perch punished slack defending to open the scoring in the ninth minute.
James McClean was granted too much time to whip over a fine cross from the left and QPR captain Clint Hill was slow to react as Perch arrived to poke home from close range.
QPR gradually recovered their composure and Croatian midfielder Niko Kranjcar showed great skill as he surged past Jordi Gomez to lash in a powerful strike that Scott Carson pushed over the bar.
The hosts went close again when Austin rose to meet a corner and his header was cleared off the line by McClean, with QPR defender Nedum Onuoha unable to pounce on the rebound, but Wigan should have taken complete control midway through the second half when McClean burst into the penalty area, only to see Rob Green save his initial effort, before the Latics midfielder nudged the rebound onto a post.
It was a big miss and Rosler’s anger was clear as he threw his water bottle to the floor in disgust.
QPR took full advantage of that escape with an equalizer in the 73rd minute.
Wigan defender Gary Caldwell caught Junior Hoilett with a rash lunge just inside the penalty area and Mark Clattenburg awarded a penalty which Austin calmly dispatched, sending Carson the wrong way.
Joey Barton and Bobby Zamora came close to winning it for QPR, but with away goals not counting double in the playoffs the tie went to extra-time.
It was Wigan’s 62nd game of a marathon season and the Lancashire side finally seemed to run out of steam as Redknapp’s team went ahead six minutes into the additional period.
Zamora collected a throw-in, before clipping the ball toward Austin, who reacted quicker than Wigan defender Leon Barnett and stabbed a predatory finish past Carson to spark wild celebrations in rain-lashed west London.
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