Watford 0-0 QPR

No goals – but Rangers stopped the rot with a well-deserved point to dent Watford’s recent charge.

But the worry for Harry Redknapp must be a score blank for the third game in a row.

There’s only one Charlie Austin, as fans sing, and he along with stalwart Clint Hill, were missing while Niko Kranjcar was pressed into service as the lone striker.

The Croatian displayed the neat touches that he hopes will get him in his country’s World Cup squad – but the manager needs to go shopping in the January transfer window.

In fact, it looked there was a fair bit of online sales shopping during a pretty drab first half.

Loads of new-looking electronic tablets were being tapped on laps in the hope of a game breaking out.

Yossi Benayoun, from distance, skewed wide of the right on 20 minutes.

Fortunately for Hoops, a dangerous cross from the right a little later bounced up in front of Troy Deeney - and he could only chest it harmlessly at Rob Green.

Diego Fabbrini felt the full force of a perfectly-timed tackle from Richard Dunne that spelt danger, and Sean Murray saw his effort partially blocked to again deny the home side.

Kranjcar in his new role cleverly made space 20 yards out and fired no wider than a Christmas wrapper past the far post.

A lovely reverse pass from Kranjcar to Tom Carroll and his low cross caught Watford out. Keeper Almunia was forced to take one for the team in a flurry of bodies that saw him require extensive treatment but still prevent Hoops going ahead. 

Phillips almost did five minutes into the second period when he cut in from the right and saw his rising drive fisted over by the keeper.

A mistake by Dunne was seized on for a neat interchange between Deeney and Fabrini – but the latter’s shot was far too close for Green even though it did need a sharp stop to the keeper’s right.

Austin’s hamstring can’t clear up quick enough, because the last two games have barely seem a Rangers shot in anger.

QPR: Green; Simpson, Dunne, Onuoha, Assou-Ekotto; Phillips, Barton, Carroll (Johnson 70), Benayoun (O’Neil 72), Hoilett (Traore 78); Kranjcar; subs not used: Murphy, Zamora, Sendles-White, Henry