QPR goalkeeper Paul Nardi is beaten as Imran Louza's free-kick hits the bar
Watford extended their unbeaten home run to 15 matches as they played out a goalless draw with struggling QPR at Vicarage Road.
Hornets goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann did superbly to block Zan Celar's crisp close-range volley and Liam Morrison blazed the rebound over as QPR had much the better of the first half.
The visitors were also unlucky not to earn a penalty kick when Ryan Porteous swung an arm towards the ball from a dangerous Hoops set-piece.
Watford were much improved after the break and went close to a late winner when Imran Louza's free-kick struck the underside of the bar and bounced clear.
But the Hoops twice went close to a late winner, with Harrison Ashby skewing a shot wide when one-on-one and Celar crashing a shot against the outside of the right-hand post in a frantic finale.
The point was not enough to lift Marti Cifuentes' side out of the relegation places, despite QPR now going three matches unbeaten, but it was an impressive display against an in-form Hornets side who failed to narrow the gap to the automatic promotion places.
No Championship side has scored fewer than QPR's tally of 15 league goals this season, and it proved their Achilles heel again as they created chances but forced just one save from Bachmann, with Nicolas Madsen side-footing a glorious first-half chance well wide.
Watford's defence struggled to cope with set-pieces and were fortunate not to concede a penalty kick before the break when Ryan Porteous swung an arm towards the ball.
Hornets boss Tom Cleverley reacted to a below-par display with a double change at the break, bringing on Kwadwo Baah, whose downward header soon drew the first meaningful save from Paul Nardi.
The Hoops keeper came off his line smartly to block Giorgi Chakvetadze's close-range strike and then did well to turn Louza's curling effort around the post, with Vakoun Bayo lurking.
Yet the visitors withstood the pressure to earn a fourth clean sheet in seven matches and continued to threaten, but could not quite gift Cifuentes a victory in his 50th Championship match in charge.
Watford boss Tom Cleverley told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"We dominated the game in possession and shots on target, but with them having the best quality of chances, I'd say a draw was a fair result.
"We weren't at it at all in the first half, and we'll pick the bones out of that, but a change of system, change of mentality, I thought we were entertaining in the second half.
"We were really pushing to win it and leaving ourselves a little bit exposed in the second half. On balance, not our best day, but we remain unbeaten here."
QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes told BBC Radio London:
"We are proud of our performance and the way we played against a very good team, but at the same time we feel a little disappointed not to get the three points and I think that says a lot about our game.
"In the first half we were very good at creating chances and dominating the game for long periods, but we need to capitalise on those moments.
"We had Watford in trouble, but perhaps we knew they would change some things in the second half.
"They went to a back four, they tried to be braver and that paid off for them because they really pushed us, but at the same time there is the feeling we could have had more."
