Improved QPR miss chances in draw at Watford
Much-improved QPR made it four points from two away matches and back-to-back clean sheets.
Nicolas Madsen and Liam Morrison missed great chances to put Rangers ahead in the first half – and Zan Celar hit the woodwork late on.
Madsen was teed up by Koki Saito’s cut-back from the right but fired woefully wide.
Rangers continued to threaten and should have been awarded a penalty when the ball struck Ryan Porteous’s arm in the area.
Watford rode their luck again when defender Morrison was unable to hit the target shortly before half-time.
Madsen’s free-kick from the left was headed by Jimmy Dunne towards Celar and, after the Slovenian’s strike was brilliantly saved by keeper Daniel Bachmann, the loose ball dropped to Morrison, who blasted over.
In the second half, Saito had a shot blocked after being set up by Paul Smyth, and Rangers keeper Paul Nardi saved with his legs to deny Giorgi Chakvetadze at point-blank range.
As QPR came under pressure, Nardi also dived to his right to keep out a curling effort from Imran Louza, who then hit the underside of the bar with a free-kick.
Harrison Ashby had a late chance for the visitors but totally mis-hit his shot after fellow substitutes Morgan Fox and Lucas Andersen combined to put him in on goal.
And in the final minute, Ashby sent Celar through with a similar ball to the one the striker latched on to to score his second goal in Wednesday’s 2-0 win at Cardiff – but this time Celar fired against the inside of the post.
QPR: Nardi, Dunne, Cook, Morrison, Paal (Fox 71), Field, Morgan (Andersen 71), Madsen (Varane 64), Smyth (Ashby 71), Saito (Dixon-Bonner 90), Celar.
Subs not used: Walsh, Kolli, Santos, Bennie.
