QPR held to draw by 10-man Plymouth
QPR remain in the bottom three after being held to a goalless draw by 10-man Plymouth at Loftus Road.
Dan Scarr was sent off in the 25th minute. Rangers counter-attacked after Sam Field won the ball, and the defender scythed down Ilias Chair with a crude challenge just inside the Argyle half.
Up to that point, Plymouth had been much the better side and sloppy Rangers were fortunate to be on level terms.
Three times in the opening 10 minutes, the hosts 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.
Lyndon Dykes headed Kakay’s right-wing cross narrowly wide, but other than that Rangers offered very little until Scarr’s dismissal.
They were then able to dominate, with Chris Willock sending a right-footed strike just wide shortly before crossing for Charlie Kelman, who was unable to get a decisive touch at the far post.
But Plymouth dug in and defended well in the second half and below-par Rangers struggled to create clear-cut chances.
Chair sent an effort well wide before keeper Conor Hazard comfortably kept out two tame Dykes headers, both via right-wing crosses from substitute Elijah Dixon-Bonner.
Hazard was more troubled by a long-range attempt from Jimmy Dunne, but nevertheless made the save.
He also gathered another couple of weak Dykes headers in the final stages, ensuring the Pilgrims secured the draw.
QPR were seeking a fourth consecutive win and one which would have lifted them out of the relegation zone. The point at least saw them continue to close the gap on the teams above them.
The R’s have lost just one of their seven matches since the arrival of boss Marti Cifuentes, who inherited a side that lost six in a row and were in danger of being cut adrift.
This was also their third consecutive clean sheet.
QPR: Begovic, Kakay (Cannon 25), Cook, Clarke-Salter, Paal (Larkeche 45 (Richards 72)), Field (Dixon-Bonner 45), Dozzell, Kelman (Smyth 78), Chair, Willock (Armstrong 90), Dykes.
Subs not used: Archer, Drewe.
