Nahki Wells and Queens Park Rangers run in the FA Cup came to a grinding halt after losing 1-0 at home to Premier League side Watford yesterday.

The hosts dominated possession but were undone by Étienne Capoue’s strike right on the stroke of half-time, which ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides in a well-contested fifth-round cup-tie at Loftus Road.

Wells, the Bermuda striker nearly put QPR ahead in the 40th minute when he forced Watford’s Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes to push his effort around the post after latching on to Luke Freeman’s well-weighted pass.

The 28-year-old on loan from Premier League side Burnley, threatened again just after the hour mark when he curled agonisingly wide of the far post as the Sky Bet Championship side pressed for an equaliser.

That proved to be the last act for Wells as he was substituted in the 71st minute despite his lively play up top working alongside strike partner Matt Smith in a 3-5-2 formation.

Watford enjoyed a good spell of possession in the latter stages but were let off the hook late on when Toni Leistner, the QPR captain, failed to convert Darnell Furlong’s knockdown from Freeman’s delightful cross from two yards out.

QPR huffed and puffed but were unable to break down the visitors, who held on to deny their hosts the opportunity of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in 24 years.

Wells scored his eighth goal of the season in QPR’s 2-0 win against League One side Portsmouth in the previous round to set up the showdown against Watford.

Elsewhere yesterday, Danté Leverock and his Sligo Rovers team-mates made a promising start to the season after earning a point in a 1-1 draw away to champions Dundalk in the SSC Airtricity League.

Rovers led 1-0 at the interval through a Jack Keaney free kick, which curled into the bottom corner.

However, the home side hit back after the break through Sean Murray to salvage a share of the spoils.