DYKES WILL BE DYNAMITE FOR SCOTS

MARK WARBURTON believes Scotland will benefit from a confident Lyndon Dykes after the target man finally broke his goal drought for QPR.

Dykes, who put the Hoops in front here, will now join up with the Scotland squad ahead of the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign. Despite leading the line for Scotland when they qualified for Euro 2020 – their first major tournament since 1998 – Dykes (above) has struggled in his first season at Championship level since joining QPR from Livingston having grown up playing rugby league in Australia.

Prior to Saturday, he had not scored since November and had one goal in open play all season.

QPR manager Warburton said: “He has worked tirelessly. He has had a meteoric rise but he had a really good game in midweek that gave him a lot of confidence.

“He will go away with the international squad full of confidence and we look forward to a strong end of season from him.

“He has gone from playing on a beach five years ago to playing in the Championship and being Scotland’s No 9. But he’s done well and I’m very pleased with him.”

Dykes fired in from a Lee Wallace cross to give QPR the lead on the stroke of half-time, with Yakou Meite levelling after 57 minutes with a shot that squirmed past goalkeeper Seny Dieng.

Reading missed a string of chances, while Liam Moore had a goal ruled out for offside, but they were hanging on at the end.

“A point is a point but we were hoping for all three,” said Royals midfielder Andy Rinomhota. “In the first 20 minutes of the second half, we had good chances.” READING: Rafael 6, Holmes 5 (Esteves 83), Moore 6, Gibson 6, Richards 6, Rinomhota 6, Laurent 6, Meite 7, Olise 6 (Semedo 79), Ejaria 7, Joao 4 (Puscas 79).

QPR: Dieng 6, Dickie 7, De Wijs 6 (Cameron 49, 5), Barbet 6, Kakay 6, Field 6, Johansen 6, Wallace 7, Chair 6 (Ball 65, 6 (Kane 90), Austin 4 (Willock 65, 7), Dykes 7.

MOTM LYNDON DYKES