QPR boss Mark Warburton lamented his side’s inability to hold onto their lead as they were held to a 1-1 draw with playoff-chasing Reading.

Lyndon Dykes gave Rangers the lead on the stroke of half-time after converting Lee Wallace’s cross, but the hosts managed to peg them back ten minutes after the break through Yakou Meite’s effort, with the ball squirming between the legs of goalkeeper Seny Dieng. 

The stalemate at the Madejski Stadium made it just one defeat in five for the R’s, who remain firmly in mid table, with Championship football assured for next season. 

But Warburton believes his side should have taken all three points from their travels to Berkshire, with a slow start to the second half costing them dear. 

“We certainly feel like it was two points dropped,” Warburton said. “We got the goal before half-time and it was a really good one, too.

“But we came out sloppy in the second half and could easily have defended the goal.

“We were pegged back – but it was a great reaction from the players after that. You saw how many chances they created against a good Reading team.

“We’re frustrated that we haven’t gone on to win the game.”

 

The draw against the Royals made it just one defeat in their last ten on the road for QPR, who have picked up away victories against high-flying Watford and Cardiff since the turn of the year.

That form has been pivotal in Rangers’ rise up the table since the turn of the year, having managed to give themselves some breathing space after looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone earlier in the campaign. 

The additions of Charlie Austin and Stefan Johansen have proved influential at the business end the field for the Hoops, and have given them a clinical edge when going forward. 

But it was Dykes who found the net this time around, with the Scottish striker netting his sixth league goal of the season after some delightful work in the build-up by Ilias Chair to send Lee Wallace away, before the fullback picked out the striker who duly converted. 

But after all the hard work to get the lead before the break, Rangers were pegged back soon after the restart after conceding a soft goal, as Meite outmuscled Rob Dickie to bear down on goal, before his tame effort went straight through Dieng to level the scores. 

And despite the disappointment of not taking home the victory, Warburton believes his side have come on leaps and bounds since the start of 2021, with Austin and Johansen making a world of difference. 

“The biggest frustration for us before Christmas was that, after playing well for nine or 10 games, we were missing chance after chance,” Warburton said. 

“This game is all about getting your rewards.

“Since the New Year, we’ve beaten the likes of Watford, Brentford, Bournemouth and Blackburn.

“We’ve been on a really good run and it’s about the fine margins. We’ve been very good and the loan players have come in and added another layer of quality, which was much needed.

“We’re a good team on our day – we’re improving day after day.”