Good Friday’s Championship fixture at Loftus Road saw Queens Park Rangers beat Watford 2-1, securing three wins on the spin for the R’s.
Imran Louza’s 85th-minute consolation goal wasn’t enough to quash Rayan Kolli’s first-half header, and it was Paul Smyth who scrambled home what would be the winning goal.
This is the 28-year-old Northern Ireland International’s second stint at the club, and his six goals this season are his highest number yet.
Fans belted out the Man of the Match’s name throughout the 90 minutes, but there was a time when things weren’t so sweet for him at QPR.
QPR first signed Paul Smyth from Linfield in August of 2017, after he helped Linfield lift the Northern Ireland Premiership title the previous season.
He made his professional EFL Championship debut against Cardiff City on New Year’s Day 2018, where he scored the winning goal, and won the Supporters Young Player of the Year that season.
Before long, however, he fell out of first-team favour and was sent out on loan to a multitude of clubs, namely Accrington Stanley, Wycombe Wanderers, and Charlton Athletic.
Eventually, following the expiration of his contract, he was signed by Leyton Orient on a free transfer in June 2021, seemingly the end of his QPR journey.
The drop down into League Two playing for the O’s proved vital for Smyth. Over the two season stint, he made 62 appearances and scored 13 goals in all competitions, playing a huge role in their title win in 2022/23.
He was even named EFL Player of the Year at the 2023 London Football Awards, so it wasn’t long before QPR came knocking again.
Following a trainwreck of a season, narrowly avoiding relegation following a dramatic freefall, Paul Smyth was re-signed by QPR in June 2023.
It wasn’t an immediate success, arriving onboard an already unsteady ship, dipping in and out of first team favour. This was only made more difficult following the sacking of manager Gareth Ainsworth, who had signed him. He faced a lot of criticism from fans, even being the victim of severe online abuse earlier this year.
But recent times have seen Smyth on another level, featuring regularly and scoring three goals in his last two games, including a brace in QPR’s 6-1 win over Portsmouth before the international break.
He even earned himself a contract extension last December. From an option off the bench to a consistent starter, Paul Smyth’s story is one of perseverance and resilience, and R’s fans can look forward to many more somersaults to come.
