November 21, 2024
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Queens Park Rangers manager Marti Cifuentes

QPR face down Coventry City ‘nightmare’ as deserved goal claim made The Sky Blues are still looking for a first away win as struggling Queens Park Rangers hit back to claim a draw at Loftus Road.

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes acknowledged the “nightmare” Coventry City had posed his team at Loftus Road before the hosts hit back to claim a point.

Queens Park Rangers manager Marti Cifuentes

Teenager Kieran Morgan’s first career goal secured a 1-1 draw for Rangers and also helped lift them off the foot of the Sky Bet Championship table. However, the draw saw City drop into the bottom three.

Morgan, released by Tottenham in the summer, was making just his second substitute appearance when he replied to Haji Wright’s early strike for the Sky Blues. But Rangers boss Cifuentes admitted things had looked grave for his team before Morgan intervened.

He told the QPR website: “The start was a nightmare. From our corner kick it becomes a counter for them. We had several possibilities to clear the ball properly but we don’t, so we concede a deserved goal, so it was a terrible start to the game.”

Queens Park Rangers manager Marti Cifuentes

Morgan struck on 63 minutes, but even then Cifuentes was not totally happy, adding: “It was not a perfect performance, far from it. But at the same time I felt the team really understood what is needed to get out of the situation where we are and our fans as well understood, and they were definitely encouraging.

“Since I arrived this team has never been giving up and always trying to compete, and some games we achieved what we wanted.”

Rangers are still looking for a first home win of a torrid season so far, but they did at least move back above Portsmouth on goal difference at the bottom of the table. Coventry, meanwhile, are still looking for their first away win this term.

Queens Park Rangers manager Marti Cifuentes

“It was not the result we wanted. We never start a game thinking a point would be good,” added Cifuentes.

“But after a difficult start and the kind of struggles we have had lately, the main thing was the performance. We are in a difficult situation, but there is strong trust and strong commitment that we can get it right.”

Queens Park Rangers manager Marti Cifuentes

City boss Mark Robins reflected: “We started brightly, got our goal and that gave us confidence and belief for a short spell. But both teams kept giving the ball way; ‘you have it, no you have it’.

“We ended up just giving the ball away too often and couldn’t get that foothold. That could be the lack of confidence because we haven’t won games. It was a poor goal to concede.”

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