Queens Park Rangers vs Luton Town FC (29th Dec 2022)

Report | QPR 0-3 Luton Town

A Carlton Morris double and an Alfie Doughty wonder strike gave the Hatters a first win at Queens Park Rangers since 1984, and in doing so lifted them into the Championship play-off places as they signed off 2022 in style.

Town turned in a wonderful away performance to record a second successive win in front of the Sky Sports cameras, in doing so leapfrogging seventh-placed Rangers in the table, with Morris taking his tally to ten for the season with a goal in each half before Doughty smashed in his first for the club.

Manager Rob Edwards made two changes to the side that beat Norwich on Boxing Day, the first one enforced with Amari'i Bell returning from suspension to rejoin the defence, while Gabe Osho sat out the first of his two match suspension following his dismissal for two yellows against the Canaries.

Elijah Adebayo was forced off through injury on Boxing Day and was named amongst the substitutes, with Harry Cornick joining Carlton Morris up front from the first whistle.

Monday's hero Cauley Woodrow was also on the bench, along with former QPR midfielder Luke Freeman, who scored the winning goal in the last meeting between the two teams.

The Hatters had the first attempt on goal on six minutes, when Cornick's long throw from the right was flicked on by Potts, but home keeper Seny Dieng was equal to Morris' scissor kick volley.

It took just four more minutes for the Town top scorer to break the deadlock though, the 27-year-old finishing with perfectly measured left-foot shot through a defender's legs and into the bottom corner from the edge of the area, after Lockyer had sent Doughty racing down the right with a cultured volley from deep inside his own half.

Morris might have doubled the advantage on 15 minutes with a carbon copy chance on the other side of the box.

Lockyer again sprang the attack by carrying the ball out of defence, and when he lost it, Bell immediately regained possession and set Cornick free on the left. Cutting back inside, the former Bournemouth man picked out his strike partner with a low ball, but Dieng dived to his left to keep this right-footed effort out.

Rangers had got in down both flanks and flashed low crosses into the Town penalty area, but they had thankfully passed through unanswered, and it was Moroccan international Ilias Chair who fired their first warning shot on 20 minutes, dancing past a couple of defenders before shooting straight at Horvath with the outside of his right boot.

The hosts enjoyed a lot of possession, but other than a cross from Olamide Shodipo that Mpanzu cleared at full stretch, just over his own bar, and one from Tyler Roberts that Horvath punched clear at his near post, they rarely threatened the Hatters' goal.

When the dangerous Chair had the ball, he was so well marshalled by Bree and Doughty - who was the first player to be booked on either side for a foul on Jimmy Dunne by the touchline - that he turned towards his own goal and played the ball straight out of play.

Horvath had to be alert to tip a mis-hit cross from Kenneth Paal over the bar in injury-time, but the Town were worthy of their half-time lead.

Within 80 seconds of the restart, the advantage was doubled and again it was Morris, moving into double figures for the season. Bree arced a free-kick in from deep that Paal could only flick on into the path of the former Norwich and Barnsley striker, who volleyed home at the far post.

A scrappy few minutes followed in which Rangers tried to mount a response, a flurry of free-kicks for mistimed challenges eventually leading to Roberts glancing a header onto the top of the crossbar with 54 minutes on the clock.

Edwards introduced Woodrow in place of Cornick just before the hour, with the forward departing the action to a standing ovation from the 1,562 travelling Town fans.

Lockyer produced a perfectly timed header to deny Roberts a close range nod-in after Lyndon Dykes had headed a deep corner goalward, then Clark went into ref Gavin Ward's notepad for a foul on Rangers skipper Sam Field by the right touchline.

Potts and Mpanzu soon added to the yellow card count, then Dykes volleyed wide with the goal at his mercy with just over quarter-of-an-hour to go, as Roberts whipped a dangerous cross in from the right.

Doughty put the icing on the cake with a superb half-volley in the 82nd minute. By now playing left wing-back with Potts having gone off, the ex-Charlton and Stoke flyer won the ball and played a one-two with Morris, before letting fly with a wonderful left footed strike from 25 yards.

The win took the Hatters up to fifth, albeit possibly for only a couple of hours with the later kick-offs to come, and sets them up nicely for a New Year's Day trip to bottom club Huddersfield.

Goals:

LT - Morris 10, 47, Doughty 82

Att: 16,030 (1,562 Hatters)

Reaction | Rob Edwards on superb QPR win!

Manager Rob Edwards was full of praise for a ‘fantastic result’ as Luton Town secured a first win at Queens Park Rangers since 1984.

Carlton Morris scored a brace and Alfie Doughty rounded off a superb victory in front of over 1,500 Luton fans on a cold, windy night in the capital.

Speaking to BBC Three Counties Radio, the boss said: “It’s a fantastic result for us. A clean sheet, three goals, it doesn’t get much better than that. I don’t think the scoreline tells the full story. We’ve got to give QPR credit, they’re a good team. But I thought once we got the early goal and went one-nil up, they showed really good moments, great control and I thought we were fairly solid in our shape. To get the second when we did so early in the second half really just settled us down and I thought we managed the game pretty well."

On Alfie Doughty’s stunning strike, the first for the club, he said: “It was an amazing goal. Set pieces are always important we know that but the first and third goals tonight I thought were excellent. The third was a stunning, stunning goal.

“He’s a really good player, Alfie. He’s got really good personality, I like him a lot, he has a lot of attributes, a lot of quality and he’s only going to get better.”

Finally on Carlton Morris, Edwards added: “Carlton has been doing it for a while now so I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone at all. He’s an excellent player, brilliant team-mate, he’s so selfless in his work. I’m really pleased he got the rewards tonight with a couple of goals and gets the recognition as well, because he’s worked very hard and in the last few games not had too much of a sniff. I’m really pleased for him.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnTVja9JoF4 – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML8NeVfw7rI – Rob Edwards interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtiVI3sLVgA – full time scenes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N8ET6tZt8U – Alfie Doughty interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8tL5-Jcg4M – reverse angle

Hatters finally end QPR hoodoo with stunning Loftus Road victory to complete the double over R's

Championship: QPR 0 Luton Town 3

Carlton Morris notched two and Alfie Doughty thundered home a late thunderbolt as Luton Town finally ended their Loftus Road hoodoo in the best way possible with a 3-0 victory in front of the Sky TV cameras this evening.

Not since 1984 had the Hatters tasted victory in West London, with their previous 18 matches ending in 11 defeats and seven draws, as a last success was some 38 years ago, a 3-2 Division One triumph courtesy of goals from Steve Elliot, Paul Elliot and Brian Stein.

However, Town seem to have clicked into another gear over this Christmas period, with the arrival of manager Rob Edwards doing wonders as he masterminded a second win in three days, with Luton continuing to register candidates for their Goal of the Season award.

The boss made two changes, striker Harry Cornick and defender Amari'i Bell back in with Gabe Osho suspended and Elijah Adebayo only fit enough for the bench after his hamstring injury.

Town dropped James Bree into the back three, Doughty going to right wingback and Bell on the left, Cornick partnering Morris upfront.

The latter two almost combined for the opener on six minutes, with Cornick's long throw inadvertently flicked on by a home defender, and Morris' acrobatic volley straight at keeper Seny Dieng.

Town then had the lead for the first time at the venue since the 2000-01 season with a goal of real counter-attacking class on 10 minutes.

Jordan Clark's clever header found Tom Lockyer and he lofted a pass forward with the outside of his right foot to release the unmarked Doughty.

He took the attack up, cutting in and finding Morris, who transferred the ball on to his left foot and sent an angled drive into the bottom corner.

The striker almost had his second on 15 minutes, when Bell stepped out of defence to intercept a pass and released Cornick.

The recalled forward burst into the area before picking out Morris, but this time, he couldn't beat Dieng, curling too close to the Senegal international.

Rangers' representative at the recent World Cup, Ilias Chair, then served further notice of his trickery on the ball, ghosting past two opponents and when in range of goal, forced Ethan Horvath to save low down.

Boss Edwards quickly switched Lockyer to mark the diminutive midfielder for a spell, Doughty also getting tight in a bid to stop his obvious threat and it worked for the rest of the half, Luton keeping any threats on their goal to a minimum.

On the stroke of half time, Horvath had to backpedal and tip over a deep cross, as Luton then got the best start possible to the second period.

Winning a free kick, Bree swung in a dangerous delivery that flicked off a QPR head before an unmarked Morris ghosted in at the far post and cushioned an fine finish into the net to double his tally and move up to 10 for the season.

The goal seemed to pep up Rangers though, who began to show far more urgency such was their perilous position in the game, Tyler Roberts almost pulling one back when his stooping header from a free-kick bounced off the top of the bar.

Town brought on Boxing Day hero Cauley Woodrow in a bid to give themselves more control upfront and he almost had a second goal in as many games, one angled drive kicked away.

Despite having the majority of possession, the hosts struggled to really create anything noteworthy until their best opportunity on 74 minutes when on-loan Leeds midfielder Roberts delivered a wonderful cross from the right.

Scottish international Dykes got in front of Lockyer for one of the only times of the evening, but at full stretch, he could only divert it agonisingly wide of the far post.

With cramp forcing skipper Dan Potts off, Luton were then forced into their now almost inevitable defensive reshuffle, but this time it worked in their favour as they sewed up the points.

Moved out to left wingback, Doughty was found by Campbell, and fizzed a return pass into Morris, taking a touch to then absolutely hammer a left footed exocet beyond Dieng and into the corner, right in front of the 1,500 delirious visiting supporters.

In the closing stages, Rangers missed a sitter to pull back a consolation, but there was no stopping Town’s fans from finally enjoying a trip to the R’s.

Rangers: Seny Dieng, Jimmy Dunne, Rob Dickie, Lyndon Dykes, Ilias Chair (Chris Willock 66), Tyler Roberts (Taylor Richards 79), Sam Field (C), Kenneth Paal, Olamide Shodipo (Albert Adomah 78), Ethan Laird, Tim Iroegunam.

Subs not used: Jordan Archer, Osman Kakay, Luke Amos, Conor Masterson.

Hatters: Ethan Horvath, Alfie Doughty, James Bree, Tom Lockyer, Dan Potts (C Luke Freeman 76), Amari'i Bell, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Allan Campbell (Luke Berry 85), Jordan Clark, Harry Cornick (Cauley Woodrow 58), Carlton Morris (Cameron Jerome 85).

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Elijah Adebayo, Louie Watson.

Referee: Gavin Ward.

Booked: Doughty, Clark, Potts, Mpanzu

Attendance: 16,030 (Hatters 1,526).

Edwards describes Town's win at QPR as 'fantastic'

Hatters boss picks up a second victory of the festive period

Luton boss Rob Edwards felt the Hatters’ 3-0 victory at QPR this evening was a ‘fantastic’ triumph for his side.

Striker Carlton Morris got the visitors up and running with a terrific finish into the bottom corner on just 10 minutes, before he doubled his tally 80 seconds after the break.

Alfie Doughty put the icing on the cake with a stunning goal in the final 10 minutes, lashing into the corner from the edge of the box, as Town made it two wins from two over the Christmas period.

Speaking afterwards, Edwards said: “It’s a fantastic result for us, a clean sheet, three goals, it doesn’t get much better than that.

“I don’t think the scoreline tells the full story, I’ve got to be honest.

"We’ve got to give QPR credit, they’re a good team.

"Once we got the early goal and went 1-0 up, they showed some really good moments and had some good control, but I thought we were fairly solid in our shape.

"To get the second when we did so early in the second half, really settled us down and then I thought we managed the game really well.

“It (Doughty’s strike) was an amazing goal, set-pieces are always important, so to score a set-piece goal is graat, but the first and third goals I thought were excellent.

"The third was a stunning goal.”