QPR Home Won 4 – 1

Posted on November 2, 2026 by John Smith

Poor Jander has been in the wars again, missing out against QPR with what sounds like a worrying injury. Thoughts that his absence may have led us to draw blank for a second successive home game were soon dispelled when, as at West Ham, Scienza’s shot was blocked into the path of Matsuki, who again made no mistake. Saints may have a habit of failing to build on good starts, but we should credit the visitors for a spirited response – not altogether surprising in the light of an eye-catching victory over Swansea seven days earlier. They did look better going forward than defending and Saints had the ball in their net again in first half added time – a nicely guided near post header by Dobbin, in for the still injured Larin. We may be in a competition that, famously, does without VAR but this felt very similar as the officials belatedly managed to convince themselves that offside Stephens was interfering with an attempt to save by Pierce Charles (Shay’s brother). No changes at the break but it was a different Southampton team that was now firmly on the front foot. It seemed to me that Bragg had had a couple if opportunities to shoot from the edge of the box, but he could resist no more in the 55th minute and was rewarded with a goal when Charles was left helpless by a deflection off Dunne. Rangers were making forward substitutions in an attempt to get back into the game, and I thought that was why no-one picked up Schlotterbeck, unchallenged as he headed home from a corner – the TV highlights, though, reminded viewers of a similar situation in the first half. Always nice to play out time for a comfortable win, and indeed we did, although the three goal cushion lasted only a couple of minutes: sloppy play on the left gave the impressive Kone an opportunity for a shot in off the post. Downes made a welcome return off the bench while the QPR continued to make their own changes, with all used up when losing one of them to injury in added time. The ten men couldn’t hold out until the end as others of our subs made an impact with Mubama having a shot blocked into the path of Welington Santos who added the fourth.