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QPR 1 Northampton 0

Yeni Ngbakoto’s goal secured a win against 10-man Northampton Town and a place in the second round of the Carabao Cup for QPR.

The Frenchman scored in the 36th minute at Loftus Road, where Leon Barnett was sent off eight minutes into the second half.

Ngbakoto had the simple task of tapping home from close range after keeper David Cornell had parried Darnell Furlong’s header from Luke Freeman’s left-wing cross.

League One side Northampton threatened early on but their task was made more difficult by Pierre being dismissed following a ridiculous foul on Idrissa Sylla.

Booked in the first half, Barnett needlessly picked up a second yellow card by bodychecking Sylla in full view of the referee despite being closer to the ball than the Rangers striker.

Freeman almost scored a spectacular second for the Championship side when he volleyed narrowly wide after being teed up by Ngbakoto’s clever flick.

The lively Ngbakoto also saw a shot deflected wide as Rangers continued to dominate.

But the Cobblers responded with a spell of pressure and would have equalised with 11 minutes remaining had Ryan Manning not cleared Leon Lobjoit’s header from Yaser Kasim’s corner off the line.

Rangers then went close, with Aaron Phillips clearing Ngbakoto’s header off the line after Cornell had pushed Manning’s shot on to the bar.

Steven Caulker completed the full 90 minutes for QPR – his first appearance since October last year.

Caulker recently returned to training, having spoken about his mental health issues and addictions to gambling and alcohol.

And there was a debut for Iias Chair, a 19-year-old Belgian midfielder the R’s signed earlier this year.