Queens Park Rangers 2-0 Oxford United: Sam Field scores twice as QPR beat struggling Oxford

There was plenty of enthusiasm but little goalmouth action in the opening 20 minutes in west London.

Idris El Mizouni tried his luck from 20 yards in the 22nd minute after the Hoops failed to close down a swift Oxford move. The Tunisia international’s shot took a slight deflection, but failed to trouble the hosts’ goal.

QPR, meanwhile, were seeking long throws into the box, without success.

That was as good as it got for both sides in an opening 45 minutes lacking in any quality.

QPR forward Paul Smyth tried to spark the game into life just four minutes into the second half. His darting run and shot from 20 yards flew high and wide of the Oxford goal.

The hosts continued to grow in confidence and superiority. They finally got their reward in the 53rd minute.

A brisk Rangers move down the right saw Smyth deliver a looping ball to the far post, where Rayan Kolli was lurking with intent. The forward outjumped his marker to nod the ball into the path of an unmarked Field, who duly volleyed a left-footed close-range shot past Jamie Cumming.

The former West Bromwich Albion man doubled the home side’s advantage in the 69th minute when he stroked a right-footed cool finish following excellent work by Koki Saito, who had weaved inside from the left and laid it off for his team-mate.

Saito had a brilliant opportunity to make it 3-0 some six minutes later, only to see his shot curl wide.

Field went close to a hat-trick late on as well, only to see his looping header float over the bar.