Ji-sung makes second assist of season in QPR win

Park Ji-sung recorded his second assist of the season, helping his bottom-dwelling Queens Park Rangers to beat Southampton 2-1 on Saturday and move within four points of a safety net.

The 32-year-old Korean midfielder set up the 77th minute winner by Jay Bothroyd after Gaston Ramirez erased QPR’s lead right before the first injury time. Loic Remy scored for QPR first in the 14th.

It is the first victory for QPR since it upset Chelsea 1-0 on Jan. 3. With 20 points from 28 games, QPR is now four points behind the 17th-placed team, Wigan. Reading, 19th place, is at 23 points, while Aston Villa trail Wigan on goal difference.

QPR owner Tony Fernandes complimented Park, who had struggled with the west London club since his transfer from Manchester United last year.

“Anyone who doubted Park Ji-Sung. I never did,” Fernandes said in his tweet after the Saturday’s victory. “He is and always will be class.”

QPR’s third league win of the season brightened Redknapp’s 66th birthday although the former Spurs boss was angry about a newspaper report claiming his players indulged in late-night drinking sessions at a training camp in Dubai.

“A disgusting story full of untruths,” Redknapp was quoted as saying by the BBC. “I know where the story has come from, and it’s someone trying to make problems for the club. I can be as sure as I can be that it came from a football agent.”

Meanwhile, Shinji Kagawa broke Park’s record in the league as the Asian player to score the most goals in a game as the Japanese midfielder recorded a hat trick in a Manchester United’s 4-0 win over Norwich City on Saturday.

Park was the first Asian player to score multiple goals in a game as he scored two in a 2-1 victory over the Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2010.

Another capacity crowd turned up at Old Trafford expecting to witness Welshman Ryan Giggs make his 1,000th senior appearance for club and country, but it was newcomer Kagawa, still a 1-year-old when Giggs made his United debut in 1991, who stole the show as United romped 15 points clear.

He put United ahead on the stroke of halftime and scored two more goals after the break before Wayne Rooney’s late screamer rounded off a victory that kept Alex Ferguson’s side surging relentlessly toward a 20th English league title.

League Cup winners Swansea City avoided a Wembley hangover with a 1-0 home win over Newcastle United.

By Moon Gwang-lip, AP [joe@joongang.co.kr]