QPR edge past Cambridge in Carabao Cup
QPR scraped into the second round of the Carabao Cup by edging past League One side Cambridge United.
Rangers took the lead after 15 minutes when Michael Frey finished off a flowing move with a shot from the edge of the box that found the bottom-left corner, before Paul Smyth doubled the lead before half-time.
Cambridge enjoyed a sustained spell of pressure that saw Dan Barton hit the post and Joe Walsh keep out a Brandon Njoku header from close range, before Smyth scored when he chased down a back-pass to Jack Stevens and took advantage of the Cambridge keeper’s hesitation and toe-poked the ball into the net.
Cambridge pulled a goal back 11 minutes in to the second half when Paul Digby was gifted a goal by keeper Walsh – he passed straight to the defender, who rolled the ball into the net.
Walsh atoned for that mistake with two vital saves to keep Rangers in front as Cambridge pushed hard for an equaliser in a second half dominated by the home side.
Shane Lavery hit the post after a mistake by Liam Morrison and the U’s had loud appeals for penalties waved away by referee Paul Howard as Rangers hung on.
QPR (4-2-3-1): Walsh; Dunne, Morrison, Clarke-Salter, Paal; Varane (Dykes 71), Andersen (Field 45) Dixon-Bonner; Smyth (Santos 65), Lloyd (Bennie 79, Frey (Celar 79).
Subs not used: Nardi, Cook, Kolli, Tuck.
