Championship: Queens Park Rangers 2 Preston North End 0

A double from Ebere Eze ensured that QPR ended their seven-game winless run as they overcame Preston with a 2-0 victory at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

Eze struck on 17 minutes before scoring a second half penalty and Rangers defended resolutely to pick up their first clean sheet of the season.

Alan Browne had the first attempt of the game when he flashed an effort across the Rangers box but the shot was wayward and went out for a throw-in.

QPR's first opportunity came on 11 minutes when Todd Kane played in Bright Osayi-Samuel but goalkeeper Declan Rudd was quick off his line to deny the winger.

Despite a quiet opening to the game, the R's had the lead on 17 minutes when Geoff Cameron played a lovely ball over the top of the defence into Eze, whose first shot was saved by Rudd but he made no mistake on the rebound.

Osayi-Samuel was the next to try his luck for Rangers but he dragged an effort well wide from just inside the box.

On the half-hour mark, Marc Pugh volleyed straight at Rudd before Browne curled an effort just over the bar at the other end a minute later.

The Lilywhites continued to search for an equaliser and after an R's counter-attack came to nothing, the away side launched a counter of their own as Grant Hall slid in heroically to deny Sean Maguire's shot at goal.

Jordan Hugill, up against his former club, had the chance to double his side's advantage before half-time but volleyed well over after Nahki Wells' knock down.

PNE had a good spell of pressure at the start of the second half but were unable to capitalise before Rudd was forced to clear a long ball from Wells while under pressure from Hugill.

Eze then forced Rudd to beat away a strike from distance before a superb challenge from Joe Rafferty denied him when running at goal.

But the R's did double their advantage on 66 minutes when Pugh was brought down by Rudd inside the penalty area as the referee pointed to the spot.

Eze stepped up and tucked the ball into the bottom left corner for his second goal of the game.

Hugill then wasted a chance to make it three as he shot over from Ryan Manning's through ball five minutes later.

Lumley produced a fine one-handed stop to deny substitute Billy Bodin's powerful effort on 78 minutes.

And Preston were unable to really threaten Rangers in the last ten minutes as Mark Warburton's side saw out an important victory.

QPR: Lumley, Kane, Hall, Leistner, Manning, Cameron, Osayi-Samuel, Eze, Pugh, Hugill, Wells

Preston: Rudd, Pearson, Browne, Storey, Rafferty, Hughes, Stockley, Huntington, Maguire, Barkhuizen, Potts

Attendance: 12,179