Nahki Wells and his Queens Park Rangers teammates run in the Emirates FA Challenge Cup came to a harsh end at Loftus Road this evening as Premier League side Watford came out 1-0 winners in a well contested game.
Queens Park Rangers had the better of both halves but were undone by an Etienne Capoue strike on the stroke of half time.
Defeat denies Rangers the chance of competing in the Quarter-Finals for what would have been the first time in 24 years.
In the 40th minute, Steve McClaren’s side again went close to taking the lead. Luke Freeman won the ball in midfield and drove forward before playing a lovely weighted pass to the onrushing Wells. The striker struck his effort well but Heurelho Gomes produced a fine low save to claw it out and push it around the post.
Queens Park Rangers nearly equalized after an hour when Christian Kabasele carelessly passed it to Wells with the forward curling his shot agonizingly wide of the far post.
With 20 minutes left Steve McClaren opted to make his first sub by bringing on Tomer Hemed for the lively Wells.
DANTE LEVEROCK
Vinny Perth's first league game in charge of Dundalk proved to be a frustrating one as Liam Buckley's new-look Sligo Rovers that included Dante Leverock did enough to leave Oriel Park with a hard-earned point.
Sligo made the trip east with eight new faces in their squad. Six of them started with Bermudian Leverock at the heart of Buckley's defense but an ankle injury saw Ronan Murray, a winter capture from Dundalk, ruled out.
Last year's double winners started with intent and they had a great opportunity to pull ahead in the 11th minute when Ed McGinty clattered Robbie Benson in the penalty area. The challenge brought the midfielder's evening to a premature end but McGinty, who saved a Patrick Hoban penalty in the same fixture last October, got down to deny 2018's top scorer yet again.
Sligo took the lead in the 43rd minute when Jake Keaney's right-footed free-kick beat a three-man wall and squeezed inside Gary Rogers' near post to give Buckley's side a shock lead at the break.
The scorers were level just four minutes after the restart when John Mountney chested a Dane Massey cross ball down for Patrick Hoban and his lay-off fell invitingly for Sean Murray who made no mistake, rifling a sizzling effort into the bottom corner.
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