Striker Charlie Austin insists he is back where he belongs, after netting a first-half goal on his second QPR debut to help fire the west Londoners to a valuable 2-0 win at Luton Town.

The 31-year-old enjoyed a three-year spell at Loftus Road between 2013 and 2016 - during which time he tallied 45 goals in 82 league games - and he got off to the perfect start back in QPR colours after re-joining on loan from West Brom. 

Having nodded home from close range six minutes before half-time, Austin looked on from the bench as his replacement Macauley Bonne sealed victory for the Hoops late on. 

The result ended a winless run stretching back to November 24, lifting the Rs up to 18th in the Championship table, and Austin is hopeful that he and his new teammates can use the momentum gained from success at Kenilworth Road to charge further up the ranks in the coming weeks. 

“It was a pretty special night,” said Austin. “The manager put me straight in and the ball just landed right where you want it to as a centre forward. I just think QPR and Charlie Austin are made for each other. 

“I felt like I linked up with Lyndon Dykes well. Sometimes it just happens, strikers know where other strikers are going to be and I felt like it just clicked. Now we want to push on and create a great partnership. 

“It was a great team performance. I’ve played 59 minutes but the rest of the lads have put in one hell of a shift, and the win gives us a platform now moving forwards.”

The three points were certainly welcomed by manager Mark Warburton, who is now looking ahead to a home clash against Wycombe and a trip to Cardiff in the space of the next week. 

And while content with the majority of his side’s display at Luton, the 58-year-old admitted there is still room for improvement ahead of the business end of the campaign. 

Warburton added: “It was a very strong performance - in the first half especially we controlled it and should in truth have been more than one goal up at half-time. 

“But we made it difficult for ourselves in the second half, we never looked the same team and as always lessons are to be learned. 

“It’s a tough place to come to and Luton have been in good form, but in the end it was three well-deserved points.”