QPR Beat Swansea 5-0 as Richard Kone Scores Record Hat-Trick in First 15 Minutes

Queens Park Rangers beat Swansea City 5-0 at Loftus Road on Saturday in the Championship. Richard Kone scored a hat-trick inside the first 15 minutes, with goals in the 2nd, 9th and 15th minutes, and Jimmy Dunne added two more as QPR handed Swansea a second straight defeat.

Three goals in 15 minutes

Kone opened the scoring in the second minute with a finish from play involving Kwame Poku and Paul Smyth. His second came in the ninth minute, a header from a Poku cross after Kealey Adamson won the ball. The third came from the penalty spot in the 15th minute, after Smyth was brought down by Swansea goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux.

The hat-trick set a record. It is the fastest hat-trick from kick-off in England's top four divisions since records began in the 2004-05 season. It beat the previous record held by Sadio Mane, who scored a hat-trick for Southampton against Aston Villa in 2015, by one minute. Mane still holds a separate record: his three goals in 2015 took 2 minutes 56 seconds from the first goal to the third, which remains the fastest hat-trick by time elapsed between the first and third goals.

Swansea had chances in the first half despite the score. Adam Idah fired a shot against the bar, and Pierce Charles saved from Melker Widell before QPR scored their third goal.

QPR scored a fourth before half time. In first-half stoppage time, Dunne headed in a corner from Harvey Vale to make it 4-0, and QPR went into the break four goals ahead.

Dunne finishes the scoring late

The fifth goal came in the 86th minute. Kone shot off target and Dunne diverted the ball into the net, completing his two goals for the match. The match data credited Kone with three goals and one assist, Dunne with two goals, and one assist each for Smyth, Poku and Vale.

Karamoko Dembele returned for QPR as a second-half substitute. It was his first appearance after 10 months out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. QPR left-back Boy Kemper hobbled off late in the match with an injury.

What the result means

Swansea were top of the Championship until Friday night. They remain second after this defeat, which is their second loss in a row. QPR moved back into the play-off positions in eighth place with the win.

The result came against the recent form of both scorers and the visiting defence. Kone had not scored this season before this match and had scored only once in 13 games since March. Swansea arrived with the best defensive record in the league, with eight goals conceded in 11 Championship matches, and then conceded five in one afternoon at Loftus Road.

The final score was Queens Park Rangers 5, Swansea City 0. No post-match quotes were included in the confirmed reports used for this article, so none are quoted here.