Youngster Morgan rescues point for QPR

QPR
1
Coventry
1
4'
Wright
63'
Morgan

Teenager Kieran Morgan’s first senior goal rescued a point for QPR and took them off the bottom of the Championship.

The 18-year-old midfielder, signed during the summer after being released by Tottenham, and on as a substitute for his second first-team appearance, hauled Rangers level after Haji Wright had given the visitors an early lead.

Marti Cifuentes’ side, with only one win this season and having sunk to the bottom of the table by losing at home to fellow strugglers Portsmouth on Saturday, could ill afford another home defeat.

And Morgan’s goal was enough to take them back above Pompey on goal difference.

Coventry, who had lost four of their previous five league matches, scored after a fourth-minute counter-attack following a Rangers corner.

After Brandon Thomas-Asante’s header was saved by keeper Paul Nardi, Karamoko Dembele made a mess of an attempted clearance and the ball ended up dropping to Wright, who fired home.

Kenneth Paal was injured in the build-up to the goal and after playing on for a few minutes was replaced by Koki Saito, who was lively as a left wing-back and set up a chance for Sam Field, who shot over.

But Rangers were otherwise flat, prompting Cifuentes to make a double substitution shortly before the hour mark, sending on Morgan and Lucas Andersen in place of Dembele and Ilias Chair.

Five minutes later, Paul Smyth crossed from the right and Morgan’s volley bounced up off the ground and squirmed past diving keeper Oliver Dovin, who would have been able to complete a simple catch had he stayed on his feet.

That lifted Rangers, who appealed in vain for a penalty when Jimmy Dunne hooked the ball in from the left and it struck Jack Rudoni’s arm.

And in the final seconds, Andersen had a chance to win it for Rangers but his header was gathered by Dovin.


QPR: Nardi; Dunne, Cook, Clarke-Salter, Paal (Saito 9); Field, Varane; Smyth (Ashby 80), Dembele (Morgan 58), Chair (Andersen 58); Celar (Lloyd 80).
Subs not used: Walsh, Fox, Santos, Madsen.