QPR winner a Championship thriller
BY MASON MCDONAGH
QPR narrowly beat Luton Town in a five-goal thriller at the Kiyan-Prince Foundation Stadium, despite a spirited comeback from the visitors.
With neither team having kept a clean sheet this season, goals were on the agenda, and the two teams did not disappoint.
After just three minutes QPR were ahead through Ebere Eze. Urged to pull the trigger from 25 yards by the home supporters, the midfielder let fly and found the back of the net with a strike that was too strong for Luton goalkeeper Simon Sluga.
QPR had the visitors penned in throughout the first 15 minutes, finding acres of space through their wing-backs.
In the 20th minute they were rewarded when Nahki Wells made it 2-0 to the home side after slotting home with his weak foot.
Eze had two opportunities to double his tally, but saw both efforts ricochet off the crossbar. First, the midfielder hit a vicious strike with his weak foot once again from distance but Sluga was able to palm it onto the upright, before heading a Ryan Manning cross onto the bar shortly after.
After 28 minutes QPR fans were in dreamland. Eze’s pass cut the Luton defence in two once again, allowing for Wells to get his second of the afternoon and QPR’s third.
But, Luton were thrown a lifeline in the 36th minute when R’s goalkeeper Joe Lumley passed the ball to Harry Cornick for the Luton striker to knock it into an open net from 30 yards out.
Clearly inspired by the gift from Lumley, Luton came out the better side in the second half and reduced the deficit to a single goal just two minutes after the restart.
Andrew Shinnie lifted the ball over the QPR defence to Cornick at the back post, who knocked it back to James Collins to guide it home from close range, silencing the home supporters.
Jordan Hugill had a golden opportunity to regain QPR’s two-goal lead when Eze skipped past two and found him in the box, but his disappointing finish sailed over the crossbar.
QPR’s top scorer had another fantastic chance eight minutes from time to put the game to bed, but he could only steer his effort over the bar once again after being found by Manning.
Fortunately for him, his missed opportunities did not cost his side the victory as Luton failed to complete their comeback.