Cifuentes admits QPR were poor in goalless draw

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Marti Cifuentes admitted QPR were poor – and somewhat fortunate – in a goalless draw with 10-man Plymouth at Loftus Road. 

Dan Scarr was sent off in the 25th minute for a crude challenge on Ilias Chair – after the visitors had been much the better side.

Three times in the opening 10 minutes, Rangers gave the ball away cheaply.


​First, Sam Field was yellow-carded after just 90 seconds for fouling Ryan Hardie after losing possession.

A similar lapse by Chair led to Hardie dragging a shot wide, and Osman Kakay was the next culprit, with keeper Asmir Begovic sparring the defender’s blushes by denying Hardie with a near-post save.

Hardie then missed a golden chance, lifting the ball over Begovic but also the bar after being put in by Finn Azaz’s pass.

Cifuentes said: “The start of the game was very poor. The first 15 minutes were perhaps the worst since I’ve been here.

“We were terrible and conceded a lot of chances. In that sense you could say we were lucky to be 0-0 at half-time because it was not a good first half. Plymouth were extremely aggressive and extremely good in the first half.

“In the second half we pushed much more, but Plymouth defended very well and made it difficult for us to create really clear chances.”

A win would have been Rangers’ fourth in a row and lifted them out of the relegation zone.

A point at least saw them continue to close the gap on the teams above them – and they have lost just one of their seven matches since Cifuentes took over as boss.

The Spaniard said: “We missed the quality in the last third that we’ve had in other games. I would say it was just one of those days.

“We’re really disappointed about getting only one point. When we look back, it has not been a good performance.

“It’s OK. Credit to the guys (for the recent improvement). But don’t ask me if I’m happy, because I’m not.

“Today was a day to take three points. We take one, OK, but I’m always quite demanding.”