Davies heroics end QPR charge
It was always going to take something special to stop in-form QPR in their tracks on home soil, but stoke goalkeeper adam Davies served up a smorgasbord of stops as the visitors took the points yesterday.
the hosts had won their last three games, were unbeaten in six, and have picked up more points at home than any other Championship side in 2021. Oh, and they hadn’t gone goalless for 31 consecutive league games.
But Davies denied Charlie austin from the penalty spot between tyrese Campbell’s coolly taken opener and Mario Vrancic’s stylish second, as stoke narrowed the gap between the two play-off-chasers to a point.
Potters boss Michael O’Neill was delighted with his keeper’s display. ‘adam had an excellent game,’ he said. ‘He made a couple of really good saves, particularly at the death. I’m delighted for him.
‘He’s been in a battle for the No1 jersey (with injured Joe Bursik). If he keeps his form like that he’ll make it difficult for Joe to come back in.’
QPR started brightly, Davies making his first smart save of the day from an Ilias Chair header. that seemed to wake up the visitors and QPR’s seny Dieng was forced into a fantastic double save to deny Campbell then steven Fletcher.
In the 14th minute Campbell got revenge. Vrancic split the QPR defence with a delightful pass, finding the striker who had timed his run to perfection. suddenly in acres of space, Campbell bore down on Dieng before slotting home to give O’Neill’s side the lead.
the goal got stoke into their groove with Vrancic running the show, and it was telling that the normally influential Chair had been surprisingly, if fittingly, sedentary for QPR. stoke went into the break 1-0 up and in control.
soon after it, however, Davies acrobatically saved austin’s volley, which had looked destined for the net. ‘I thought it was in,’ confessed QPR boss Mark warburton. ‘It was an unbelievable save.’
Rangers were handed a lifeline after 61 minutes when Vrancic inexplicably dragged Yoann Barbet to the floor in the box. But austin’s penalty was weak, and Davies stopped it impressively, diving low to his right.
warburton was philosophical: ‘No one means to miss a pen. Charlie’s scored his last 15, everyone is human. those are the fine margins of the Championship.’
a quarter of an hour later, Vrancic collected the ball 35 yards from goal, took a few touches, and curled the ball past Dieng to earn redemption.
Not to be outdone, Davies had one more stunning stop to make —
denying substitute George thomas when a goal looked inevitable.
a clean sheet that was earned — and then some — for the welshman.