By Paul Jones
Rob Edwards has claimed the footballing gods are against his Luton Town side after they were beaten 2-1 at Queens Park Rangers to deepen their relegation fears.
But it could soon be the former Wales defender’s own club who move against him as pressure mounts on the manager who took them into the Premier League the season before last.
A fortunate deflected goal by the QPR defender Morgan Fox condemned Town to a fourth straight Championship defeat – and 10th in a row away from home.
Rob’s assessment of tonight. pic.twitter.com/wnvWetkKL9
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) January 6, 2025
Luton are in danger of successive relegations, sitting two points above the bottom three.
“We’ve had some big chances ourselves, but it’s another game sitting here saying the same sort of things,” said Edwards.
“They got a really fortuitous goal. You’re looking up to the heavens at that point. Every week on the road we seem to be getting hit and hit and hit.
“Things have gone against us recently. It just seems the footballing gods are against us. The results are not good enough. The players are giving everything, but we are in a results business.”
Is this the goal that ends Rob Edwards’ spell as Luton manager?
— The #EFL Zone (@TheFLZone) January 6, 2025
Fox did not know much about his second-half winner, after a wayward shot from Ilias Chair deflected off him and flew into the net.
Michael Frey had put QPR ahead midway through the first half but Mark McGuinness headed Luton level on the stroke of half-time.
The hosts started well at Loftus Road and should have taken the lead after just six minutes when Chair crossed for Frey, whose header was saved by Thomas Kaminski.
Chair then crossed for Jimmy Dunne, with Kaminski superbly tipping his effort against the bar, before the QPR captain blazed the rebound over.
After 23 minutes, Frey controlled the ball from Kieran Morgan’s cross and slotted home from a tight angle, although there was a hint of handball which went unpunished.
Full-time. pic.twitter.com/DDLnu5Tno4
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) January 6, 2025
Luton levelled when the centre-back McGuinness glanced his header beyond Paul Nardi from a Zack Nelson corner.
QPR got the winner just past the hour mark, when Chair’s tame shot from the edge of the box clipped the heels of Fox in the box and wrongfooted Kaminski before rolling over the line.
The hosts could have added a third when Alfie Lloyd’s shot beat Kaminski only to come back off the far post.
McGuiness had a chance to level again in stoppage time with a carbon-copy header from another corner, but this time it flew agonisingly over the bar. QPR’s fifth home win a row lifts them up to 13th, after starting their campaign with just one win from their first 16 matches.
QPR manager Martí Cifuentes said: “It was an important win for us but I would say despite some challenges and suffering at the end, it was deserved.
“The [second] goal was a bit lucky but when I look at the chances we created before and after we deserved it.
“We suffered a bit at the end because we didn’t get the third goal. But it’s credit to the players. Now we have to keep going. There is no room for complacency.”
Both sides face trips to face Premier League opponents in the East Midlands this weekend in the FA Cup third round – although QPR may fancy their chances at Leicester more than Edwards’ Luton, who travel to face in-form Nottingham Forest.
Rob Edwards Admits Relegated Luton Missed Wales Star Tom Lockyer
