Mahon: we must find ruthless streak

By Ian Cooper GAVIN Mahon insists QPR have the firepower to mount an assault on the play-off spots this season after another stirring attacking display at Nottingham Forest. Classy performances from the Rs frontmen – in particular Wayne Routledge and Sam

By Ian Cooper

GAVIN Mahon insists QPR have the firepower to mount an assault on the play-off spots this season after another stirring attacking display at Nottingham Forest.

Classy performances from the Rs' frontmen - in particular Wayne Routledge and Samuel Di Carmine - helped Rangers to another valuable away point at the City Ground on Saturday.

With just one defeat in their last 13 Championship games, Rangers sit on the cusp of the play-offs, and Mahon believes they have the cut and thrust to make the top six.

"We've got attacking players who can hurt teams, and when sides attack us it helps the way we play," said Mahon.

"We hit teams on the break, we've got players who can excite and get at teams and cause them problems. We've also got men in the box who can pop up and score goals.

"It's been coming, and I've always said that. We're not far from becoming a successful team and we've showed that over the last three or four weeks.

"But if we're pushing for the top six we need to be killing teams off, and we need to make up for the points we dropped today [against Forest].

"We're strong at home and improving away, and if we continue to play like this we'll win more games than we lose."

Mahon knows what it takes to get to England's top flight, the 30-year-old having captained Watford to the Premier League three years ago.

His experience will be called upon again in the coming weeks, as the Hoops' improving away form will be tested once more with tough trips to Cardiff City - rearranged from its original date next weekend - and Barnsley.

And while Mahon is taking nothing for granted, he believes the current crop of players have the ability - and the belief - to overhaul the teams ahead of them as the business end of the season approaches.

He added: "The next few weeks are massive for us. We've got some big games coming up but we've played all the top teams and done well against them, so there's no reason why we can't get a run together and push on for the last third of the season."

"We know now we can get results away from home.

"At times this season we've played okay in games and not really had the belief in front of goal, but at the moment we're causing teams problems.

"Defensively we're outstanding, and if we can keep this solid base and create chances for the strikers we'll get goals, and we'll pick up points.