QPR up to 13th after fifth consecutive home win
Morgan Fox’s fortuitous goal gave QPR a fifth consecutive home victory.
Rangers led through Michael Frey’s goal until Mark McGuiness equalised in the final seconds of the first half.
The lead was restored when Ilias Chair’s shot struck Fox, diverting the ball past wrongfooted keeper Thomas Kaminski.
Marti Cifuentes’ side, bottom of the Championship a few weeks, are now up to 13th in the table – eight points away from the play-off spots – after a run of just one defeat in 11 matches.
Frey, recently back from injury, put them ahead midway through the first half with his second goal in his many games and his sixth of the season – of which three have been scored against Luton.
It came after a lovely move from one end of the pitch to the other.
Chair coolly evaded danger near the edge of his own penalty area before Frey released Paul Smyth down the right and then ran to the far post where he outmuscled Hatters full–back Reuell Walters to collect Kieran Morgan’s cross and side-foot into the corner of the net.
Fortunately for Rangers, the officials did not spot the ball bouncing off Frey’s arm.
It came after a dreadful miss by Jimmy Dunne, who contrived to lift the loose ball over a gaping goal after his header from Chair’s left-wing cross had been brilliantly kept out by Kaminski.
Frey had also missed a chance to give QPR an early lead, heading straight at Kaminski after being found by the lively Chair.
Shortly after Frey’s opener, dogged Rangers defending prevented an equaliser.
Tahith Chong charged down the right and pulled the ball back to Amari’i Bell, whose goal-bound shot was blocked by Harrison Ashby before follow-ups by Zack Nelson and Carlton Morris were similarly blocked by Sam Field and Fox.
But the defending was far from impressive when McGuiness got away from Jonathan Varane to head in Nelson’s right-wing corner – although both the delivery and header were superb.
The goal galvanised Luton and they made a determined start to the second half, only to be undone by a freak goal.
Having scored via a cleverly-worked free-kick during the New Year’s Day win over Watford, Rangers attempted another nifty set-piece.
Again it resulted in a goal – but this time after a huge slice of luck.
Kenneth Paal steered the ball towards Chair, whose tame effort would almost certainly have been gathered by Kaminski had it not hit Fox.
Substitute Alfie Lloyd twice went close to adding a third for the R’s, dinking a shot agonisingly wide after pouncing on Walters’ under-hit back-pass and then hitting the post with a left-footed strike.
QPR: Nardi; Ashby (Colback 69), Dunne, Fox, Paal; Varane (Edwards 61), Field. Morgan (Clarke-Salter 88); Smyth (Saito 61), Chair; Frey (Lloyd 69).
Subs not used: Walsh, Dixon-Bonner, Madsen, Kolli.
