Washington off the mark as QPR beat Watford

By

QPR striker Conor Washington

Conor Washington scored his first goal for QPR as they beat Watford 2-0 in their final pre-season friendly before the start of the new Championship campaign.

Summer signings Jordan Cousins, Jake Bidwell and Joel Lynch featured for Rangers at Loftus Road, where Sebastian Polter opened the scoring after 20 minutes.

The German striker fired home with his left boot after the ball was slipped through to him by Tjaronn Chery.

It came shortly after Chery missed a great chance when he shot wide from nine yards out after being teed up by Polter’s low cross from the right.

Earlier, Ben Gladwin also missed an opportunity for Rangers, blazing over the bar after dispossessing Miguel Britos.

Odion Ighalo had Watford’s best chances but missed the target with a free header from Ikechi Anya’s right-wing cross and was denied by a point-blank save from R’s keeper Alex Smithies.

The second half was a dull affair but January signing Washington, who failed to score in his 15 appearances for QPR last season, doubled the lead with an 82nd-minute header – his first touch after coming on as a substitute.

QPR: Smithies; Onuoha, Hall (Lynch 73), Caulker, Bidwell (Petrasso 82); Luongo, Cousins (Henry 66); Gladwin (Perch 69), Chery, Shodipo (El Khayati 62); Polter (Washington 82) 
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