Kim Hellberg hails Hayden Hackney and Luke Ayling after Middlesbrough win at QPR

Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg hailed Hayden Hackney and Luke Ayling after they played key roles in a 4-0 victory at QPR.

David Strelec put Boro ahead before Alan Browne and Hackney added second-half goals, and Tommy Conway’s late penalty completed the scoring.

It moved second-placed Boro four points clear of Millwall in third, and five behind Championship leaders Coventry with 10 matches of the season remaining.

Hackney, who has been linked with Premier League clubs, showed his quality yet again, producing an outstanding display.

“He’s a top player. He has everything and will end up being in the Premier League some day, hopefully with us,” said Hellberg.

“The quality he has as a player is unbelievable – the way he drives with the ball and he is also working on his finishing.

“He’s unbelievable to work with – such a pleasure and just a great guy for us to work with.”

Veteran defender Ayling, meanwhile, was excellent at the back for Boro and hit the bar in the build-up to their all-important second goal.

Hellberg said: “He was absolutely brilliant and has been in the last two games. So strong from him – how he plays on the ball, how he defends, two top, top performances from Luke.

“He’s a big leader for us, together with a lot of the players. It’s a very strong group with a lot of players that are setting an example every day at the training ground.

“With his experience and also his energy – he’s a very energetic person – he does everything at the training ground to get better, and that’s one of the things I like so much about him.”

QPR head coach Julien Stephan admitted his struggling team had simply been beaten by a better side.

Rangers have lost their past three matches, failing to score a single goal and conceding 11 in the process.

“When you lose against a top, top team, you have to accept (it). And they are better than us. This is the reality. They deserve their win,” Stephan said.

“They had more quality, individually and collectively. More quality with the ball and without the ball. I have to say that we lost against a better team than us.

“We will not face an opponent like this every time, but we need to be able to show more quality in possession.

“In the last three games we didn’t score. In football if you don’t score and are only in defensive positions it’s very difficult to get a good result.

“Of course we are not happy. It’s a difficult moment when you lose three games in a row and you concede many goals.

“But I want to protect my players, because I know them and I know they tried to give their best. We need to stay together.”