QPR 1-1 Bristol City: Seven-up Robins make their point again

By Stephen Serpent

QPR 1

Dembele 21

BRISTOL CITY 1

Earthy 30

Liam Manning believes his Bristol City side remain in a strong position in their battle for a playoff place after a hard-earned point at Queens Park Rangers.

Karamoko Dembele put QPR ahead by heading home Nicolas Madsen’s cross before George Earthy equalised on the half-hour mark after being set up by Max Bird.

The draw came after back-to-back wins and meant the Robins, who remain fifth in the table, have taken seven points from a possible nine over the past week.

With four matches of the regular season remaining, they look well on course for a top-six finish.

The lads have made huge strides – Manning

Manning said: “We challenged the lads after the international break and said eight games, two blocks of four, can we, after the first block of four, give ourselves something to play for going into the final stretch?

“And when you look at the week the lads have had, it’s been terrific to sustain the levels and the challenge.

“I’d have taken two wins and a draw from the week.

“The lads have made huge strides.

“Four to go; let’s see how we go.”

Both teams created chances during the second half but were unable to find another goal.

“It was not quite the performance level we’ve shown recently, but to top the week off still l unbeaten, I think is a real big positive,” said Manning.

“We started slowly and they started well.

“So we take the point and move on.

“We had more control in the second half than we did in the first.

“We just lacked a bit of quality in terms of breaking them down.”

HEAD MASTER: Karamoko Dembele puts QPR ahead
PICTURES: Alamy and PSI/ Paul Bocking

CLASH: QPR’s Jimmy Dunne, left, and Bristol City’s Cameron Pring

Match action

Dembele’s 21st-minute opener was beautifully worked and he was heavily involved in the build-up.

He picked the ball up deep inside his own half and laid it to Nicolas Madsen, who played a first-time pass towards Jimmy Dunne on the right flank.

Facing the touchline, Dunne cleverly back-heeled to Dembele.

He then played the ball inside to Yang Min-hyeok and continued his run into the box, where he drifted between two City defenders to head home Madsen’s cross.

The goal came soon after Dembele’s superb pass with the outside of his right boot put Harrison Ashby in on goal, but the full-back was denied by Robins keeper Max O’Leary.

After going ahead, Rangers almost doubled their lead when Dunne volleyed just wide.

But the visitors hit back with an equaliser against the run of play on the half-hour mark.

It was another well-worked goal with nice link-up play near the edge of the box.

Bird played a smart pass in towards Earthy, who sneaked behind R’s defender Liam Morrison and slotted past keeper Paul Nardi.

Rangers spurned a great chance to regain the lead when Koki Saito robbed Earthy only to overhit a pass to Yang, who would have had a simple finish.

At the other end, Anis Mehmeti was similarly wasteful, hesitating after a slick City move and allowing Dunne to get in a saving challenge.

Star Man – Cameron Pring (Bristol City)

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