Queens Park Rangers vs Derby County: QPR 2-3 Derby County – Rams Fight Back to Keep Play-Off Hopes Alive with Late Winner from Jaydon Banel

Derby County secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on Saturday, April 25, 2026, keeping their Championship play-off hopes alive with a late winner from Jaydon Banel in the 88th minute.

The win moved Derby to within one point of sixth-placed Wrexham in the race for the final play-off spot, setting up a tense finale to the season with just one match remaining for all teams involved.

Queens Park Rangers began strongly, taking an early lead through Harvey Vale in the 13th minute. The former Chelsea winger capitalised on a Daniel Bennie pullback, drilling the ball into the bottom corner with his left boot after QPR hammered at the Derby goal from the opening minutes.

Derby responded before halftime as Oscar Fraulo scored his first goal for the club in the 25th minute to level the match. The equaliser came after Derby had weathered a storm of chances from QPR, who had 23 shots to Derby’s 12 in the first 76 minutes, with 12 on target.

Richard Kone restored QPR’s lead in the 55th minute with his ninth league goal of the season, heading home after Jacob Widell Zetterstrom had saved his initial shot at point-blank range. However, Derby levelled again 14 minutes from time when Sondre Langas headed in to swing the momentum in the Rams’ favour.

With QPR appearing to have weathered the storm and secure all three points, Jaydon Banel produced a moment of individual brilliance in the 88th minute. The youngster struck a stunning effort into the top corner to seal the win, marking his third goal in five matches for Derby.

The victory was Derby’s third shot on target resulting in a goal, highlighting their clinical efficiency compared to QPR’s high volume of chances. John Eustace’s side had to dig deep after going behind twice, ultimately benefiting from QPR’s missed opportunities as the hosts were made to pay for a catalogue of wasted chances.

The result means Derby now face Sheffield United on the final day of the season knowing a win would likely secure them a play-off place, depending on other results. Wrexham, who face champions Coventry City on Sunday, currently hold the sixth and final play-off spot by just one point.

For Queens Park Rangers, the defeat leaves them needing to regroup after a strong performance that saw them create numerous chances but fail to convert them into goals. Julien Stephan’s side will look to bounce back as they assess what went wrong in the closing stages of a match they led for significant periods.