Chair steers QPR to valuable win over Preston

Published on: 01 December 2023

Chris Willock (centre) peels away after scoring QPR's second goal from an Ilias Chair assist against Preston

Goals from Paul Smyth and Chris Willock secured a second successive victory for QPR and continued Preston North End's poor run of form in the Championship.

Ilias Chair, on as a half-time substitute, set up both goals for the visitors.

He found space near the left-hand edge of the penalty area and played a great ball towards the far post, where Smyth was able to bundle home from close range.

It was the Northern Ireland forward's first goal since returning to Rangers during the summer for a second spell at the west London club.

And with three minutes remaining, Chair collected a pass from fellow substitute Ziyad Larkeche and delivered another low cross from the left for Willock to seal the win.

QPR remain in the Championship bottom three but look much improved under new boss Marti Cifuentes, having lost only one of the Spaniard's five matches in charge.

After beating Stoke City on Tuesday to secure Cifuentes' first win, they defended well as Preston dominated much of the first half at Deepdale.

The R's then seized the initiative, with Chair's introduction in place of the injured Jack Colback giving them extra impetus.

North End struggled to create chances and QPR threatened on the counter-attack, with Chair, Andre Dozzell and Elijah Dixon-Bonner bringing saves from Freddie Woodman with long-range strikes after Smyth's opener.

Preston's defeat was their third in a row and their seventh in their past 11 matches. They now sit in eighth, having fallen out of the play-off spots after being thrashed 4-0 by Middlesbrough on Tuesday.

Ryan Lowe's side, who made a strong start to the season, have also now failed to keep a clean sheet in 14 matches.

    Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text

Line-upsPreston

Formation 4-2-3-1

1Woodman22Ramsay14Storey6Lindsay16Hughes4Whiteman8Browne25Holmes7Keane10Frökjaer-Jensen9Evans

    1Woodman22RamsaySubstituted forStewartat 87'minutes14Storey6Lindsay16Hughes4WhitemanSubstituted forMcCannat 73'minutes8Browne25Holmes7KeaneSubstituted forMillarat 45'minutes10Frökjaer-JensenSubstituted forWoodburnat 73'minutesBooked at 90mins9Evans

Substitutes

    3Cunningham11Brady13McCann17Stewart18Ledson20Woodburn21Cornell23Millar33Best

QPR

Formation 4-3-3

1Begovic20Cannon3Dunne6Clarke-Salter22Paal4Colback8Field7Willock17Dozzell9Dykes11Smyth

    1Begovic20CannonSubstituted forKakayat 65'minutes3Dunne6Clarke-Salter22Paal4ColbackSubstituted forChairat 45'minutes8Field7WillockSubstituted forKelmanat 90+2'minutes17DozzellSubstituted forLarkecheat 79'minutes9DykesBooked at 22mins11SmythSubstituted forDixon-Bonnerat 65'minutes

Substitutes

    2Kakay5S Cook10Chair13Archer19Dixon-Bonner21Larkeche23Kelman24Duke-McKenna29Drewe

Referee:Josh SmithMatch StatsHome TeamPrestonAway TeamQPRPossessionHome54%Away46%ShotsHome7Away8Shots on TargetHome1Away5CornersHome6Away4FoulsHome11Away11Live Text Post update

Match ends, Preston North End 0, Queens Park Rangers 2.

90'+7'Full Time

Second Half ends, Preston North End 0, Queens Park Rangers 2.

90'+4'Post update

Foul by Layton Stewart (Preston North End).

90'+4'Post update

Sam Field (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick on the left wing.

90'+3'Booking

Ben Woodburn (Preston North End) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

90'+3'Post update

Foul by Ben Woodburn (Preston North End).

90'+3'Post update

Charlie Kelman (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick on the right wing.

90'+3'Post update

Attempt blocked. Liam Millar (Preston North End) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Ben Woodburn.

90'+3'Post update

Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Sam Field.

90'+2'Substitution

Substitution, Queens Park Rangers. Charlie Kelman replaces Chris Willock.

90'+2'Post update

Layton Stewart (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

90'+2'Post update

Foul by Sam Field (Queens Park Rangers).

90'Post update

Corner, Preston North End. Conceded by Ilias Chair.

90'Post update

Attempt blocked. Ched Evans (Preston North End) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ali McCann.

89'Post update

Andrew Hughes (Preston North End) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

89'Post update

Foul by Ilias Chair (Queens Park Rangers).

87'goalGoal!

Goal! Preston North End 0, Queens Park Rangers 2. Chris Willock (Queens Park Rangers) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ilias Chair.

87'Substitution

Substitution, Preston North End. Layton Stewart replaces Calvin Ramsay.

86'Post update

Foul by Liam Lindsay (Preston North End).

86'Post update

Lyndon Dykes (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

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Source: bbc.com