Hwang Ui-jo strike enough as Norwich beat QPR in scrappy clash

Norwich put their home woes behind them with a hard-fought 1-0 win over QPR in a scrappy Championship encounter.

The Canaries had lost their three previous matches at Carrow Road to heap the pressure on head coach David Wagner but got the three points this time around thanks to a well-taken 21st-minute goal from on-loan striker Hwang Ui-jo.

It was a lacklustre showing from the hosts but this was all about the result which followed a 3-2 win in their previous game at Cardiff and lifted them to the fringes of the play-off picture.

For Rangers, it was a first defeat under new boss Marti Cifuentes after a couple of draws but they competed well in an instantly forgettable game and would have had some reward for their efforts had their finishing matched their often attractive approach play.

It was Rangers who made the better start, enjoying plenty of possession, but they couldn’t make it count and it was the hosts who got their noses in front midway through the fast half.

A simple ball through the centre from Gabriel Sara caught the visiting defence napping and Hwang was left free to advance on goal before burying an unstoppable low shot into the bottom corner.

Aside from a back-post effort from Jack Stacey that was headed clear from underneath his own bar by Steve Cook, it proved to be Norwich’s only on target effort of the opening period – but fortunately for Wagner’s men their opponents lacked the punch to go with their neat approach work.

Lyndon Dykes nodded a corner from Kenneth Paal just wide and a well-struck effort from Osman Kakay was comfortably gathered by George Long but they were rare moments of alarm for the Canaries.

Paal tested Long with a powerful low shot and Ilias Chair fired just over from distance as Rangers again came out of the blocks quickly after the break.

Norwich were still looking reasonably comfortable, however, although efforts on goal were still at a premium in what was becoming an increasingly scrappy encounter.

Chair had an curling shot deflected just wide after cutting in from the left and Sam Field directed an effort just wide from a good position in stoppage time but the home side saw the game out.