Daily Mail

Lee Cook praised Paulo Sousa's tactical awareness as a double substitution gave Rangers victory.

The new QPR boss brought on top scorer Dexter Blackstock and Fitz Hall with 10 minutes to go, and Blackstock scored the winner six minutes later, heading Martin Rowlands' free-kick past Preston keeper Andrew Lonergan for his 10th of the season.

Preston had clawed back Heidar Helguson's opener for QPR through a Chris Sedgwick strike, but the Iceland international scored his third goal in two games to give Rangers a 2-1 lead at the break.

Cook was the provider for both of Helguson's goals and could have claimed the second himself as he revelled in the freedom of Sousa's 4-4-2 diamond formation in an entertaining first half.

The midfielder said: 'Helguson stole it from me. He got up and celebrated first. I know it was my goal. He owes me one, definitely.'

But Cook who, like Helguson, is a loan signing at Loftus Road, said he has been impressed by the start the striker has made at the club.

Cook said: 'We've lacked that kind of player. He's great in the air for his height and he gets in the right positions to score goals.We've missed those kind of players.'

Yet Helguson's brace looked to have secured only a point when Callum Davidson equalised from the penalty spot after referee Alan Wiley controversially ruled keeper Radek Cerny had brought down Sean St Ledger.

Rangers were denied a penalty of their own three minutes later when Blackstock went down under pressure from Youl Mawene, but the striker grabbed the winner on 86 minutes as Sousa's brave tactical changes were rewarded.

Cook said of his manager: 'His tactical awareness is something that's stood out for me, and that's going to be really good for us.

'He doesn't mind making changes. He put me out wide for a good 20 minutes as an outlet, brought the subs on, completely changed the formation and we ended up winning the game.'

Preston manager Alan Irvine was left disappointed. 'I think we deserved something,' he said.

'In the first half QPR were the better team and I was praying for the half-time whistle to come, but in the second half we were the better team and I thought we would go on to win.'

Sunday People

Paulo Sousa praised his team's versatility after late substitute Dexter Blackstock nodded the winning goal with only four minutes remaining against a battling Preston side.

Heidar Helguson had twice put Sousa's team in the lead in a first half they dominated, but Preston came back both times through Chris Sedgwick and a Callum Davidson penalty.

Desperate for all three points, the Portuguese boss gambled with nine minutes remaining and it paid off as leading scorer Blackstock headed in his 10th goal of the campaign.

"We needed to take a risk as we wanted to get the three points," said 38-year-old Sousa who took the reins last month, and has won all three of his home games.

"It was very important - we had planned for these occasions in training. It was fantastic when Dexter scored and I am proud of my players.

"Each and every player is important for the team. We are learning to adapt to certain situations during the game. We prepared well for this and anticipated the problems. After this game we will have more power - it will give us confidence."

Sousa's team started the brighter and took 16 minutes to open the scoring through Helguson. The striker, on loan from Bolton, headed in Lee Cook's teasing cross from the left.

But after the goal QPR's defence went to sleep and Sedgwick stole in to nod home Paul McKenna's chip after 34 minutes.

With Cook, another loan signing, running the show after being allowed a free role by Sousa, QPR retook the lead 10 minutes before the interval. At the far post Patrick Agyemang headed Martin Rowlands' corner back across goal where Cook and Helguson were quick to react.

From three yards out the pair managed to bundle the ball into the net, though the goal was attributed to the Icelandic international.

After the break Preston hit back and were awarded a penalty when QPR keeper Radek Cerny felled Sean St Ledger in the box.

Left-back Davidson stepped up to score his second spot kick of the season and Preston looked on course for a draw.

But Sousa had other ideas and, with nine minutes left, called for Blackstock.

Five minutes later, after Cook was fouled on the left, Rowlands' freekick picked out the powerful striker. His booming header was too much for Andrew Lonergan and had the Hoops manager punching the air.

His opposite man, Alan Irvine, was bitterly disappointed, and said: "In the first half QPR were the better team. I was praying for the whistle to go before any more damage was done. But after the break we were the better team and I expected us to win the game.

"We deserved something. I thought it was a good game of football but it was disappointing to lose to a late goal. It was harsh to come away with nothing." Sousa, whose team are now only three points off a play-off place, picked out Cook, who is due to return to Fulham in January, for special praise.

He said: "Lee came to us with an injury but is getting better and physically stronger. We need players of Lee's quality to help us."

Sunday Times

Dexter Blackstock climbed off the bench to secure a dramatic victory for QPR against Coca-Cola Championship play-off rivals Preston.

The striker grabbed his 10th goal of the season four minutes from time to maintain Rangers' promotion bid.

A controversial penalty decision from referee Alan Wiley had earlier looked to have gifted Preston a point.

Rangers were leading 2-1 courtesy of Heidar Helguson's double, but in the 60th minute Premier League official Wiley adjudged Sean St Ledger was felled in the area by Rangers goalkeeper Radek Cerny.

Callum Davidson gratefully slammed the penalty past Cerny, only for Blackstock to deny the visitors with his late intervention.

On-loan Bolton striker Helguson took his tally to three goals in the last two games in the first half, either side of Chris Sedgwick's first goal in a year for Preston.

The hosts, who have been in fine form at home this season, almost went ahead inside the opening two minutes only to be denied by a superb double save from Andy Lonergan.

The goalkeeper hurled himself to his right to keep out Lee Cook's curling shot, and then managed to block the follow-up from former Preston striker Patrick Agyemang.

They took the lead after quarter of an hour when the impressive Cook swung in a cross from the left and Helguson darted in front of St Ledger and headed past Lonergan.

But 12 minutes later Preston hauled themselves level with their first meaningful attack.

Skipper Paul McKenna was given far too much space in the penalty area and he picked out Sedgwick, who planted a firm header past Cerny and into the corner of the net.

The visitors should have gone ahead moments later, but Youl Mawene blasted over the crossbar from close range following a corner.

And Rangers went back into the lead 10 minutes before half-time when Agyemang brought down Martin Rowlands' corner and Helguson prodded the loose ball over the line.

They almost had a third when Agyemang played in Cook, but the on-loan Fulham midfielder missed his kick in front of goal.

After the break, Lonergan saved well from Cook and Agyemang, while Eddie Nolan skied a good chance for Preston.

But the game exploded in controversy on the hour when Wiley adjudged Cerny to have brought down St Ledger in the area despite not a single Preston player appealing for a foul.

After the protests from the hosts had died down, Davidson stepped up to thump the ball down the centre past the diving Cerny.

Substitute Mikele Leigertwood and Hogan Ephraim fizzed shots wide as Rangers went in search of a winner.

And the breakthrough came when Rowlands swung in a free-kick which Blackstock met with a glancing header to give Lonergan no chance.