LONDON: Ten-man Queens Park Rangers snatched a 90th-minute goal through substitute Bobby Zamora to clinch promotion to the Premier League with a 1-0 win against Derby County in the Championship playoff final at Wembley on Saturday.
After QPR were reduced to 10 men when Gary O’Neil was sent off in the 60th minute, Derby laid siege to their opponents’ goal but could not find a way past a well-drilled defence in a match billed as the richest in world football.
With extra-time beckoning, Zamora curled a delightful finish into the corner of the net after a series of defensive errors by the Derby defence in the build-up to secure victory for QPR’s relieved manager Harry Redknapp and chairman Tony Fernandes.
Promotion is worth at least 80 million pounds ($134 million) for QPR, who return to the top flight after one season in the Championship (second division) along with champions Leicester City and second-placed Burnley who went up automatically.
Following a lacklustre first half, Derby dominated after the break but Steve McClaren’s usually free-scoring side were left to rue their failure to score.
It was the second time Zamora had scored the only goal to clinch victory in a Championship playoff final having struck the winner for West Ham against Preston North End in 2005. (Reuters)
