QPR slump to defeat against Preston

QPR 0 Preston 2

QPR were well beaten at Loftus Road by a Preston side that had lost all three of their previous Championship games this season.

Jermaine Beckford put the visitors ahead midway through the first half and Nedum Onuoha’s own goal doubled their lead.

Rangers fell behind when they failed to deal with a free-kick into the box. After keeper Alex Smithies punched clear, Paul Gallagher directed the ball back towards goal and Beckford touched in from close range.

Worse followed for QPR seven minutes into the second half.

Daniel Johnson threaded the ball through to Beckford, and in trying to prevent the striker’s low cross from the right reaching Callum Robinson, Onuoha diverted the ball into his own net.

Rangers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink responded by bringing forward Conor Washington on for midfielder Karl Henry – and a change was certainly needed as his team had barely threatened.

James Perch’s header over from Yeni Ngbakoto’s free-kick was the best they could muster in the first half and a second Preston goal soon after the interval left the hosts with a mountain to climb.

Washington, yet to score a league goal since a January move from Peterborough, missed a great chance to pull one back for Rangers midway through the second half.

Tjaronn Chery found space on the right and played in Washington, who struggled to control the ball and was then unable to find a way past Anders Lindegaard.

Keeper Lindegaard also produced a routine save from Sebastian Polter as Rangers finally began to create openings.

Preston, meanwhile, remained a threat, with Johnson shooting wide, Smithies tipping over an effort from Gallagher, and Robinson going close with a powerful drive.

Following wins in their opening two league games, a second successive defeat is a big setback for QPR, and the home fans grew increasingly restless as their team stuttered.

That frustration increased further when appeals for a penalty were waved away after the ball appeared to hit Chris Humphrey’s arm as he closed down Washington in the box.

Washington, keen to atone for his earlier miss, sent an effort wide of the target late on, as did Polter, Massimo Luongo and R’s substitute Nasser El Khayati.

Centre-back Steven Caulker was thrown up front in the final minutes as Rangers looked desperate and devoid of ideas.

Their afternoon was summed up in injury time, when Caulker tried to meet Luongo’s right-wing cross with an overhead kick and succeeded only in hooking the ball into his own face.