QPR make it four home wins in a row
QPR made a fine start to 2025 as they made it four home wins in a row.
The fit-again Michael Frey, starting a match for the first time since October, put them ahead after just five minutes.
Jimmy Dunne doubled the lead with his third goal in seven matches.
And straight after Kwadwo Baah pulled a goal back for Watford 10 minutes into the second half, Sam Field restored Rangers’ two-goal cushion.
Marti Cifuentes’ side, bottom of the Championship table a few weeks ago, have now lost just one of their past 10 matches – a run which has included four clean sheets.
They made the perfect start, with Frey scoring after a cleverly-worked free-kick routine.
Kenneth Paal played in Kieran Morgan on the left and the youngster pulled the ball back for Frey, who finished coolly.
Ilias Chair, another key player recently back from injury, set up the second goal, cutting in from the left and finding Dunne, who headed past keeper Daniel Bachmann.
Jonathan Varane missed a great chance early in the second half to make it 3-0, blasting high and wide of the target from close range, before Watford pulled a goal back.
After a Rangers attack broke down when the otherwise excellent Paul Smyth was dispossessed, the Hornets counter-attacked and Georgi Chakvetadze played the ball to his right towards Baah, whose first-time shot went in via a heavy deflection off Kenneth Paal.
Rangers responded immediately. After good work by Dunne, Smyth beat his man and crossed from the right for Field to head home.
Baah almost scored in stoppage time when his thumping strike hit the post.
QPR: Nardi; Ashby, Dunne, Fox (Clarke-Salter 62), Paal; Varane, Field (Colback 90), Morgan (Madsen 76); Smyth; Chair (Saito 76), Frey (Kolli 62).
Subs not used: Walsh, Dixon-Bonner, Bennie, Lloyd.
