QPR clinch first-ever win at Forest

Nottingham Forest 0 QPR 1


Toni Leistner’s header earned QPR a first-ever victory at the City Ground in 35 attempts.

Leistner nodded in Luke Freeman’s inviting, inswinging 45th-minute free-kick to put Rangers ahead and they defended impressively to close out a deserved win.

Forest dominated possession in the first period but barely threatened and they ran out of ideas as they became increasingly frustrated after the interval.

The closest Forest came to a goal was when Joe Lumley made a stunning fingertip save to turn Adlene Guedioura’s rasping 90th-minute strike onto the bar.

Apart from that effort the hosts were restricted to a couple of decent long-range efforts from Guedioura and Joe Lolley that were narrowly off target in the first half and a Tendayi Darikwa shot that fizzed across goal.

Ebere Eze, Massimo Luongo and Pawel Wszolek all showed some promising moments in the final third for Rangers but their main threat came from set-pieces.

And it was the impressive Leistner who made the most of the best delivery of the afternoon, nodding in Freeman’s delightful free-kick from the right.

Leistner continued to excel in a resolute defensive display, winning numerous headers and organising those around him to ensure an historic win despite a couple of late scares.

QPR: Lumley, Cousins, Furlong, Leistner, Bidwell, Wszolek, Scowen, Luongo, Freeman, Eze (Hall 88), Wells (Smith 86).
Subs: Ingram, Oteh, Osayi-Samuel, Chair, Kakay.