Premier League: QPR 1 Norwich 2

Joey Barton scored the opening goal before being controversially sent off in Queens Park Rangers’ 2-1 loss to Norwich on Monday.

Goals from Anthony Pilkington and Steve Morison sealed the victory for Norwich at Loftus Road, but the hosts will be left questioning both the referee’s performance after Barton’s first-half dismissal.

The game started slowly, and the visitors looked to be the ones settling well initially, but they went behind in the 11th minute with QPR captain Barton finding the back of the net.

A simple pass over the top for Jamie Mackie to run onto and cross was all it took to undo the Norwich defence.

His ball was behind everyone in the box, but Barton running in from the wing was on hand to rifle a shot past John Ruddy.

Norwich’s first real chance of the match came and went just after the half-hour mark as Simeon Jackson failed to make a proper connection with Elliot Bennett’s cross, with the ball rolling harmlessly wide of Kenny’s left-hand post.

The match had been threatening to boil over for some time before it eventually did, and it was Barton again who was at the centre of the controversy.

The QPR skipper was caught after passing the ball by Lappin, and while the players jostled in the follow up, he appeared to aim a headbutt at Norwich’s Bradley Johnson.

Referee Neil Swarbrick consulted with his linesman and proceeded to send off Barton for violent conduct.

The misery was compounded for QPR minutes later as Anthony Pilkington found the bottom corner with a rasping drive from just outside the box following some good build up play from the visitors.

The away support were certainly the happier supporters at the break, with a rasping set of boos from the home fans aimed at the referee and his assistants.

Ruddy was forced into action minutes after the interval as Taarabt clipped a free-kick over the wall and towards the corner, but the ‘keeper was equal to the task and pushed the ball onto the post at full stretch.

Jackson then forced a save from Kenny at the other end, drilling a shot towards the bottom corner that the goalkeeper did well to get down to and stop.

Norwich were undoubtedly the team on the up, and they finally took the lead in the 83rd minute.

Wes Hoolahan put in a fine cross from the left to the back post, and Pilkington’s knock down left Morison with the easy task of sweeping the ball home from the six-yard box to hand Norwich the three points.