QPR poor again in draw with Reading

QPR 1 Reading 1

Pawel Wszolek scored his first goal for QPR but their wait for a home win continues.

Danny Williams’ equaliser earned Reading a deserved point at Loftus Road, where Grant Hall went off injured in the first half.

Rangers, without a home victory in the league since the opening day of the season, went ahead on 14 minutes.

After Reading gave the ball away in midfield, Olamide Shodipo charged towards the penalty box and scooped the ball through to Wszolek, who netted from close range.

Reading responded strongly and QPR had a lucky escape when Garath McCleary was just unable to get to Karl Henry’s weak back-header.

McCleary set up the equaliser by sending in a fine cross from the left towards Williams, who sneaked behind Joel Lynch and steered the ball home at the far post.

And Rangers were dealt another blow when Hall limped off 10 minutes before the interval.

Both teams threatened late in the first half, with Rangers’ Ariel Borysiuk and Reading’s Roy Beerens firing wide.

After a stale start to the second period, R’s boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink made a change, bringing Conor Washington on for Shodipo.

The hosts then enjoyed a spell of pressure during which Sebastian Polter headed narrowly wide from Tjaronn Chery’s right-wing corner.

But Reading remained a threat and keeper Alex Smithies did well to get down to his right quickly enough to keep out a shot from Beerens after the Dutchman was given time and space near the edge of the penalty area.

Smithies was soon called into action again, this time to deny McCleary following a Reading counter-attack.

And Yann Kermorgant headed wide from McCleary’s cross as the visitors continued to cause problems for QPR’s vulnerable defence.

With that defence offering little protection, Smithies then took matters into his own hands by acting as sweeper to sprint from his line and clear the danger after McCleary yet again got in behind the Rangers back line.

At the other end, Washington cleverly turned away from Jordan Obita to give himself a sight of goal, but keeper Ali Al-Habsi reacted quickly and was first to the ball.

The result leaves Hasselbaink’s side with just one win from their last eight matches.

The home fans’ frustration was palpable and many greeted the final whistle with jeers.

But it would have been worse for Rangers had Smithies not rescued them during the second-half spell in which Reading were well on top.