Ian Holloway praised QPR’s efficient strike force as they beat ten-man Bolton Wanderers 2-0 at Loftus Road on Saturday.

A red card, shown to Mark Little for a foul on Massimo Luongo ten minutes into the second half, allowed them to break the deadlock.

Goals from Joel Lynch and Matt Smith secured victory for QPR, who lie 15th in the Championship table – 11 points clear of the bottom three, and 14 points adrift from the play-off zone.

“They’ve both worked so hard week after week to get to where I want them to be,” said Holloway.

“Matt’s been doing this all his life – causing problems and proving a real threat. He’s getting fitter and better all the time.

“Lynchy has worked tirelessly too. He was excellent today and deserved to come off the pitch to the reception he and his team-mates got.

“I’m delighted we managed to get two goals. Overall that’s as pleased as I’ve been for quite a while because those are tough games.

“Today was a big game – and that’s a big win for us. We were very professional from start to finish.

“We need results at the right time and a game like this was absolutely vital for us. If it had gone the other way, where would we be?

“But it feels really nice that we’ve won another of those important games against teams below us so I’m delighted for the lads.”

Meanwhile midfielder Luke Freeman, 25, praised the professional approach against Bolton - a game which marked his 50th appearance for QPR.

“It’s a nice milestone to hit,” he said.

“Even when it was 11v11 I thought we were on top and looking like the side who were going to go on and win the game.

“It’s sometimes harder when it’s 11v10 for one reason or another, but we stuck to the game plan and produced a very professional performance.

“Everyone was in sync from the first minute to the last, sticking to the game-plan - it was a satisfying afternoon for us.”

Rangers face promotion chasers Sheffield United this evening, and Freeman was confident they could deliver at Bramall Lane.

“We’re going there with a positive mindset,” he said.

“We were good on Saturday and we played well against Wolves, particularly in the second half.

“We feel we’re improving as the games go by. There’s a good feeling about the place given how we’ve performed since the turn of the year.”