Cifuentes admits frustration after ‘costly’ QPR error

Marti Cifuentes admitted his frustration after a late defensive lapse proved “very costly” for QPR in their 1-1 draw at Norwich.

An own goal in the final seconds of the first half by Canaries forward Ante Crnac looked like giving Rangers all three points.

However, with his team under pressure, Harrison Ashby tried a risky pass to Jonathan Varane deep inside his own half and the visitors lost possession.

Following the resulting throw-in, Rangers switched off and Onel Hernández teed up Marcelino Nunez, who fired home.

R’s head coach Cifuentes said: “Definitely we should have managed better the sequence that gets to the throw-in – the way we lose the ball and the reaction.

“I always say that in football, like life, it’s how you face adversity. You can face adversity, a bad pass or bad control, but the way you react is the most important thing and I feel we switched off a little bit and that was very costly.”

Nevertheless, Rangers, bottom of the Championship table a few weeks ago, ended 2024 with a run of just one defeat in nine matches.

And their response to that defeat, at Swansea on Boxing Day, was impressive.

Cifuentes said: “It’s mixed feelings. Definitely I would say it’s not an unfair result, because Norwich pushed, especially in the last minutes of the game.

“I’m obviously frustrated about conceding the goal that late. The frustration is getting that close and not getting the three points.

“The commitment is not in doubt. As always, there are things we need to keep working at to make sure that we are better in the next weeks.

“In the first half we played very well – a really high level against a very good team – and had good sequences in possession.”