Stalemate in Cifuentes’ first QPR home game
QPR and Bristol City played out a goalless draw at Loftus Road, highlighting that their new managers both have work to do.
City defended well in their first match under Liam Manning in a solid but unspectacular start to his reign following his recent arrival from Oxford United as successor to Nigel Pearson.
Rangers boss Marti Cifuentes will take some encouragement from his team’s display in his first home game at the helm.
But the west London side have now gone 11 matches without a win, continue to struggle to create clear-cut chances and remain one off the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship table, having won only once at home in more than a year.
Draws in his first two games represents a reasonable start for Cifuentes given that he inherited a team which had suffered six consecutive defeats, leading to the sacking of Gareth Ainsworth, but Rangers need to pick up wins soon.
They at least look less prone to defensive errors – a problem which constantly plagued them during Ainsworth’s troubled spell in charge.
QPR striker Lyndon Dykes had a couple of sights of goal in the first half, heading Kenneth Paal’s right-wing corner well over and seeing a shot blocked by Matty James following Paal’s free-kick.
The home side also appealed in vain for a penalty when Paul Smyth’s cross struck Zak Vyner’s arm.
City themselves had appeals for a penalty waved away after the interval when Paal appeared to handle the ball as he challenged Anis Mehmett.
City then absorbed a period of QPR pressure in which Andre Dozzell shot over and Smyth fired wide of the near post after being found by Dykes.
Cifuentes sent on Sinclair Armstrong in place of Dykes in attempt to break the deadlock – and the young striker caused City some problems with his pace and power, unsuccessfully appealing for a penalty after going down in the box under a challenge from Vymer.
But the Robins were largely comfortable as Rangers, without suspended playmaker Ilias Chair, ran out of ideas in the final stages, with Elijah Dixon-Bonner slicing a shot wide after being teed up by fellow substitute Taylor Richards.
QPR: Begovic, Kakay, Cook, Dunne, Paal, Colback (Dixon-Bonner 82) Field, Dozzell, Smyth (Richards 83), Willock (Kelman 90), Dykes (Armstrong 73).
Subs not used: Archer, Duke-McKenna, Kolli, Drewe, Larkeche.
