Watford ride their luck to defeat QPR and advance to FA Cup quarter-finals
Relive all the action from Loftus Road
Watford progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a hard-earned 1-0 victory over QPR, despite being outplayed at Loftus Road.
Although their team selection again appeared to show a club for whom the competition is not a priority, Etienne Capoue’s gift of a goal put Watford to within one victory of reaching the final four at Wembley – after their Championship hosts had wasted enough chances to build a convincing lead.
Toni Leistner had a brilliant chance to rescue a deserved draw for Rangers in the closing stages but skewed his tap-in wide from all of two yards as the second ticked away.
Relive all the action below.
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Welcome to The Independent's live coverage of QPR vs Watford, with both teams bidding for a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
It's Heurelho Gomes’ 38th birthday today and Jack Pitt-Brooke spoke to the cult hero ahead of what could possibly be his last game in a Watford shirt:
QPR manager Steve McClaren spoke to BT Sport ahead of the game:
We have to compete. We need to stay in the game. The key is [Troy] Deeney and [Andre] Gray up front. Can our backs handle them? In the front two we have an outlet. The first thing is making sure the Watford players know they will be in a game. We want to be putting crosses into the box.
Watford midfielder Will Hughes:
It is one of the best runs I have been on. It is a good chance for us tonight. There is something special about it [the FA Cup] with the teams who play in it. I'm not taking it for granted tonight. A lot of the Premier League teams have been knocked out by lower league opposition. It's a big chance for us tonight but they will be thinking the same.
A minute's applause is now being held at Loftus Road to honour 1996 World Cup legend Gordon Banks.
5': QPR 0-0 Watford
It's a scrappy start as neither team manages to take an early foothold. Watford, though, are clearly the slightly more composed.
9': QPR 0-0 Watford
QPR are beating Watford to the second balls, but they're struggling to turn tackles into counter attacks.
Watford look to exploit the right-wing via Will Hughes, but the pass into the box is errant and we're still awaiting are first dangerous opening of the game.
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