QPR beaten by Millwall as dire run continues

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QPR 1 Millwall 2

QPR suffered a sixth home league defeat of the season as their miserable run continued.

Duncan Watmore’s 31st-minute opener and Ollie Burke’s goal 12 minutes from time put the Lions in command.

Chris Martin, on as a substitute for his debut, pulled a goal back with an 82nd-minute ​header​, but Millwall held on.


Rangers are now without a win in nine matches, have won just one of their past 16, and one of their 10 games since Neil Critchley took over as head coach in the wake of Michael Beale’s departure.

Striker Watmore, a recent signing from Middlesbrough, was a constant threat to the home defence.

His goal was created by the excellent Zian Flemming, who got away from Sam Field and found Watmore, who fired into the top corner of the net from the left-hand side of the penalty area.

QPR gave as good as they got for most of the first half and Ilias Chair was their most inventive player, sending two efforts ​w​ide and seeing another saved by keeper George Long.

Chair also set up an opportunity for Jamal Lowe, who fired over.

But Rangers struggled to create clear-cut chances after the interval and Watmore shot wide as Millwall threatened, before Tom Bradshaw netted but the goal was disallowed because Flemming was offside.

It prompted Critchley to make an attacking change, taking off midfielder Stefan Johansen and sending on​ veteran​ striker Martin, who was signed this week as a free agent following his recent departure from Bristol City.

Critchley ​then ​also introduced Chris Willock, who was Rangers’ talisman prior to successive hamstring injuries and whose dip in form has summed up their disappointing season.

And Willock’s injury curse struck again when he limped off just seven minutes after his introduction.

A QPR comeback after that seemed unlikely – and a defensive mix-up presented Burke with his first goal since the winger’s return to Millwall on loan from German club Werder Bremen.

Ethan Laird and Andre Dozzell got in each other’s way while trying to clear a ball into the box and Burke was able to tap in from close range.

But Martin did manage to make an impact, heading in Chair’s cross to set up a tense finish.

QPR: Dieng, Laird, Dickie, Dunne, Paal, Johansen (Martin 64), Field, Dozzell, Chair, Lowe, Armstrong (Willock 69)(Adomah 76).
Subs not used: Archer, Kakay, Gubbins, Iroegbunam.