Beale salutes his side’s bit of luck to end travel troubles
MICHAEL BEALE insisted Rangers deserved to ride their luck and celebrate a stirring victory.
Sub Albert Adomah’s goal sealed the R’s first away win under their new boss by adding to first-half strikes from Ilias Chair and Chris Willock.
Ken Sema and Joao Pedro plundered Hornets levellers and Edo Kayambe thought he had made it 3-3 late on.
But that was ruled out for offside and Beale was adamant it had been a correct call on a day of many marginal decisions.
He said: “The linesman made a really big and correct call.
”It was a great strike from Kayembe but before the shot the centre-forward was just offside.
”A couple of things went for us, including the first goal, but we have been due a bit of luck.”
Hornets boss Rob Edwards was convinced Ismaila Sarr had not been interfering with play however.
He said: “He didn’t affect it so in my opinion the goal should stand.”
Rangers took an 18th-minute lead in the flukiest fashion.
Chair tried his luck from outside the box with an effort that took an enormous deflection off defender Francisco Sierralta’s body and keeper Daniel Bachmann was unable to readjust in time to stop it creeping in at the far post.
Sema slotted Watford level in the 27th minute after he had out-muscled a challenger for Pedro’s ball into the box.
The Swede’s left-footer lacked venom though and Rangers keeper Seny Dieng should have done better.
Willock restored Rangers’ advantage in the 34th minute by ending a move that had Watford chasing shadows.
Chair’s pass sent the over-lapping Laird sprinting into the box on the right and his pull-back was perfect for Willock to pull the trigger.
Watford could have been level at the break however when Dieng came racing out of his box to head away a long ball.
Pedro seized on it 35 yards out but his shot bounced off the bar instead of into the net.
The Brazilian was not to be denied five minutes into the second period, though, as Watford levelled again.
Rob Dickie claimed he had been fouled as he and Pedro tussled in the box but as the defender toppled to the ground, and after the Watford man slotted home, ref Keith Stroud ruled it should stand.
Beale’s boys took the lead for the third time in the 70th minute. Skipper Stefan Johansen, sliding in, could not convert Kenneth Paal’s ball across the box but it was perfect for the unmarked Adomah, who drilled high into the net.
That promoted a furious Hornets onslaught but Kayembe’s long-range cracker three minutes from time was ruled out and that was that.
WATFORD: Bachmann 6; Gaspar 6 (Bayo (82) 4), Sierralta 6, Kabasele 6, Kamara 6; Kayembe 7, Choudhury 6; Sarr 6, Pedro 8, Sema 7; Manaj 5 (Asprilla
(31) 6)
QPR: Dieng 6; Laird 7, Dickie 5, Dunne 6, Paal 7; Johansen 7 (Masterson (88) 3), Field 6, Dozzell 7; Willock 7 (Kakay (87) 3), Chair 7 (Armstrong (80) 4); Dykes 5 (Adomah (61) 6)
STAR MAN: Joao Pedro – Watford’s Brazilian did not deserve to be on the losing side.
REF: Keith Stroud 6