SAINTS held onto a massive 1-0 win at QPR to send their 2,994 travelling fans home happy for Christmas despite being reduced to 10 men. 

Taylor Harwood-Bellis was there at the back-post to finish a clever free-kick routine and give Saints the lead after a difficult first 40 minutes at Loftus Road.

Moroccan international Ilais Chair caused problems all afternoon for the visitors but they were limited to very few clear-cut chances. 

They were given a late lifeline when substitute Shea Charles received a red card for two bookable offences just moments before four minutes of added time were signalled. 

But it was the visitors who looked more likely as neither side added to the notch by Harwood-Bellis and Saints secured a sixth clean sheet of the campaign. 

Russell Martin went unchanged from their 4-0 win against Blackburn Rovers last time out, with no surprise inclusions on the bench either.

They visited Loftus Road just two days before Christmas facing a side in the Championship's bottom three - and having already changed manager once this season. 

Rangers had picked up 12 points in eight matches under new boss Marti Cifuentes but experienced a bit of a mare in their last two outings.

They drew 0-0 with a Plymouth Argyle down to 10 men for 70 minutes and conceded twice late to lose 2-1 to Sheffield Wednesday last time out.

QPR looked dangerous in the opening exchanges; a low cross from Chair with two forwards lurking was well met by Bazunu before Chair tried to lob the Irishman from the halfway line. 

His effort was not far over, while the lively Moroccan was given a different opponent after half an hour as injured James Bree was replaced by Ryan Manning.

Manning was immediately involved in a slick move as Will Smallbone, trying to reach a Stuart Armstrong pass into the area, was denied a penalty following a sliding challenge by Kenneth Paal.

Manning also helped craft the opener as Adam Armstrong knocked his free-kick to the back-post, where Harwood-Bellis was arriving to tap into the empty net.

Saints rode their luck but took the lead with the first clear chance of the game five minutes before half-time to see lift-off in the packed-out away end. 

The hosts started the second period as they had the first, though, with Sam Edozie required to make his first telling contribution of the afternoon in the Saints box.

He cut out a ball played across by Chair, who had a free run at the Walker-Peters wing and Martin responded with a triple substitution.

The manager opted for a refresh of the midfield anchor as well as hoping for another second-half impact from Ryan Fraser. 

It produced results with Walker-Peters exploding to life but denied at the last by flying QPR defenders as Saints pounded the opposition box. 

Substitute Shea Charles was denied from the edge of the area after he was played in by Fraser down the left, and both Aribo and Walker-Peters had efforts blocked.

Che Adams should have done better to square it to A Armstrong as Saints entered the final 10 minutes but his connection was wild. 

Martin used his final change to introduce skipper Jack Stephens but his side were reduced to 10 men almost immediately after, as Charles received a second yellow for preventing a counter. 

Adams could have finished the tie anyway but hit goalkeeper Asmir Begovic under pressure - but it did not matter, and Martin's side held on.

QPR: Begovic, Dunne, Clarke-Salter, Willock (Smyth, 74), Field, Dykes (Armstrong, 74), Chair, Dozzell (Kelman, 84), Dixon-Bonner (Larkeche, 66) Cannon (Adomah, 84), Paal. 

Unused subs: Archer, Kakay, Richards, Drewe.

Booked: Dixon-Bonner.

Saints: Bazunu; Bree (Manning, 32), Harwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Walker-Peters; Downes (Charles, 56), Smallbone (Adams, 56), Aribo, S Armstrong; A Armstrong (Stephens, 86), Edozie (Fraser, 56).

Unused subs: Lumley, Holgate, Alcaraz, Mara.

Booked: Aribo, Charles, Adams, Stephens.

Sent off: Charles.

Referee: Oliver Langford.