Match Report: QPR 1-2 Watford

Jake Livermore scored two amazing goals in the second half, helping Watford get back to winning in the league with a 2-1 win against Queens Park Rangers.

The match didn't really pick up pace until after halftime. Livermore from the Hornets team scored two impressive goals from outside the area, giving them a two-goal advantage.

Lyndon Dykes scored a goal to give the home team a chance to come back in the game, but Watford managed to resist and maintain their undefeated streak of five games while playing away from home in the Sky Bet Championship.

The outcome has led to Watford climbing up to the eighth spot in the standings, with only a single point separating them from the play-off positions.

The coach in charge, Valérien Ismaël, made a decision to switch up the team by making four changes from their previous game where they tied 3-3 against Plymouth Argyle in the league.

Francisco Sierralta, Tom Dele-Bashiru and Yáser Asprilla returned to the team, while Rhys Healey made his debut start in the league for the Hornets. Ryan Porteous and Ismaël Koné were only able to be substitutes because of sickness, and Mileta Rajović and Edo Kayembe, who was injured, were the other two players who were replaced.

Watford began the game at a fast pace and had possession of the ball, but the opposing team was the first to have a chance at scoring. Chris Willock's shot wasn't much of a threat to Ben Hamer in goal, and Sinclair Armstrong missed the target with a header from Kenneth Paal's cross.

The game had a strong start, but was disrupted by frequent fouls that interrupted play. This led to Sam Field, Kenneth Paal, and Livermore all receiving early yellow cards. Livermore's foul resulted in a free-kick for the opposing team, the Hoops, near the edge of the box. However, the returning Ilias Chair missed the goal with his attempt.

It took some time before the Golden Boys' offense started to pick up, and their initial opportunity during the afternoon was when Matheus Martins approached from the left and attempted to score, but unfortunately, his hit rocketed past the distant post.

The Hornets finally had their chance to challenge Rangers from a set-piece, as it was known that they struggled in this area. Sierralta tried his best and hit the ball against the crossbar, but unfortunately, it didn't count as the linesman had already flagged for an offside.

During the match, Watford's performance improved. They executed a smooth passing maneuver where Healey passed it onto Asprilla, who then freed up Ryan Andrews to overlap. However, the resulting low cross was subsequently cleared.

During the first half of the game, there wasn't a single shot that hit its target. However, just before half-time, Armstrong took control of the ball and rushed towards the right side of the field. He shot the ball with such force that Hamer, the goalkeeper, couldn't catch it, causing him to parry it. Chair was in a great position to score, but luckily, Andrews made a remarkable challenge at the last second and saved the day.

As soon as the break was over, the home team quickly started the second half. Armstrong managed to take the ball away from Sierralta and ran towards the goal, but Hamer did a good job and prevented the goal from happening. This helped to keep the scores tied.

The pace of the game definitely increased during the second half, as the action kept shifting back and forth between both sides of the field.

Asmir Begović saved Giorgi Chakvetadze's attempt from the outside of the penalty area, and then he quickly released the ball to Chris Willock for a counterattack. Willock then passed the ball to Armstrong, who shot at the goal but Hamer was able to block it.

QPR would regret the opportunities that they missed when the ball landed at Livermore's feet near the box. The midfielder effortlessly curved his shot into the top right corner, handing the Hornets the advantage.

The Hoops had an opportunity to reply quickly when the ball landed at the feet of Jack Colback in the penalty box, but unfortunately the midfielder wasn't able to capitalize on it and his shot missed the target.

The consequences of not taking advantage of the opportunity became worse when a second quick change in possession found Livermore once again with enough room on the verge of the penalty area. On this occasion, he decided to kick the ball low along the ground towards the bottom right corner of the net, scoring his second goal and increasing the Hornets' lead by two.

The Rangers team was very motivated to decrease the gap between the scores, and they managed to do it successfully. This happened when one of their substitutes, Paul Smyth, made his way into the penalty box on the right side and sent a cross to the top scorer Dykes. He was at the right place at the right time to easily tap in the ball. This gave hope to the fans who were cheering for Rangers to win the game.

The final moments of the game were quite stressful for the fans present at Loftus Road and those watching from home. The Rangers tried their best to score a point, giving their all in the game.

Jimmy Dunne, a defender, believed that he had equalized the score for his team with an impressive curling shot. The ball had ricocheted around some players in the scoring area. However, Hamer, the goal keeper of the opposing team, made a fantastic save with one hand to the low right side of the goalpost. This save helped Hamer's team, the Hornets, maintain their lead.

The crucial save turned out to be very important as Watford managed to secure their fourth victory in five away matches. This unexpected win was achieved with the help of two goals from an unexpected player.