Michael Beale praises key offside call as QPR edge Watford in thriller

Posted Sunday, August 28, 2022 by PA

Michael Beale felt QPR deserved to ride their luck in a controversial 3-2 victory at Watford.

Substitute Albert Adomah’s goal ended up ruining Watford’s unbeaten start to the Championship season.

Ilias Chair and Chris Willock were also on target as Rangers won for the first time away from Loftus Road under new head coach Beale.

Ken Sema and Joao Pedro netted for Watford, who saw a late third equaliser ruled out for an questionable offside call against Ismaila Sarr.

There was no shortage of incident from the moment Chair’s heavily-deflected opener found the net right to when Watford realised Edo Kayembe’s 88th-minute screamer was not going to count because Sarr was offside in the build-up.

Most calls went Rangers’ way but Beale believed his side had deserved it, especially as Rs defender Rob Dickie felt he had been fouled before Pedro scored.

“A couple of things went for us like the first goal but we have been due a bit of luck,” Beale said. “Could Rob have cleared the ball for their second goal? I suppose that’s what we will say to him when the dust settles.

“But things even themselves out and 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.

“So if (I criticise when) I don’t get one, I need to praise them when I do get one as well. You have to take the rough with the smooth.”

Watford head coach Rob Edwards was convinced it should have stood, however.

“When the cross went in Ismaila was in an offside position but he didn’t affect it so in my opinion the goal should stand,” he said. “It was a good goal.”

Chair opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a huge deflection off Hornets defender Francisco Sierralta.

Watford levelled in the 27th minute through Sema, with away fans’ calls for handball while accepting Pedro’s pass ignored.

Rangers required just seven minutes to restore their lead when Willock capped a fine move down the right. Chair slipped in the overlapping Ethan Laird and his pull-back was dispatched by Willock.

Watford came close to levelling four minutes before the break when goalkeeper Seny Dieng came out of his box to head away a long ball – and Pedro sent it past him from 35 yards only to see it bounce off the top of the bar.

Watford levelled again through Pedro five minutes after the restart. The Brazilian tussled in the box with Dickie and the Rangers defender went to ground claiming a foul. Referee Keith Stroud ruled nothing untoward had happened however and Pedro converted an easy chance.

Rangers would not be denied and it was Adomah who put them back ahead again in the 70th minute. Chair set up Kenneth Paal for a cross from the left that Johansen could not convert but the substitute, unmarked in the box, lashed it high past Bachmann instead.

A frantic finale saw Kayembe thump home from long range only for a raised flag to rule it out.

Edwards was disappointed by that but also by his side’s inability to press home an advantage when Pedro made it 2-2.

“We started the second half strongly and got the goal but then we stopped doing what had got us success and I don’t know why,” he said. “We didn’t ask enough questions or take enough risks.”