Injury adds to insult for Dieng but Warby still has last laugh
QPR boss Mark Warburton revealed that sent-off Seny Dieng also suffered a broken nose on an eventful afternoon for the Senegal goalkeeper.
Ten-man Rangers leapfrogged Boro to climb into the top 10 after Dieng – who had made crucial saves – was dismissed in the 58th minute for racing from his box to bring down Boro winger Duncan Watmore.
Sub keeper Joe Lumley performed two vital stops of his own to secure victory and Warburton said: “We got two goals up then gave away a sloppy goal.
“But the second half was a completely different dynamic because of the sendingoff.
“Seny got sent off as the last man and for Joe to come on and produce two outstanding saves, he deserves immense credit.
“Seny broke his nose. It’s quite a nasty break and that’s two this week with Jordy de Wijs breaking his at Rotherham the other night.’’
Boro boss Neil Warnock – facing one of his former clubs – handed Jordan Archer a league debut for the Teessiders in place of on-loan Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli.
But Archer, signed on a short-term deal in January after being freed by Motherwell, was beaten twice in the first 18 minutes of this lively encounter.
On the quarter-hour, centre-back Rob Dickie delivered a bolt from the blue with a spectacular 30-yard strike to put the visitors into the lead.
Then Lyndon Dykes pulled the ball back
6
2
6
9
8
2
0
0
81
6
3
51 from the right for skipper Lee Wallace to head in his first QPR league goal and double the advantage.
But Boro replied in the 28th minute when Neeskens Kebano whipped over a right-wing cross that Yannick Bolasie met with a bullet header.
That made it 2-1 and suddenly the hosts were back in the game.
And the on-loan Everton winger should have made it a double five minutes before the interval, which would have sent the sides in level at the break. Watmore set up Bolasie but his attempt to skip around Dieng was foiled by the keeper, who then needed lengthy treatment to his nose.
3
4
2
4
13
0
1
1
76
12
42
49
Injury-hit Middlesbrough’s play-off hopes have disintegrated after picking up only one point from five games.
And Warnock said: “I got a few answers today.
“I think I know now who I’ve got to get out and who to keep.
“One or two don’t want to be here so I’m hoping we can help them.
“We gave two goals away. Djed Spence was marking the man who headed the goal and he let him go.
“It’s irresponsible really.’’
MIDDLESBROUGH: Archer 6; Fisher
6 (Johnson (56th) 5), Hall 6, McNair
6, Bola 6; Spence 5 (Coulson (63rd)
5), Howson 6, Saville 7; Watmore 8, Kebano 6, Bolasie 7 (Assombalonga
82nd)
QPR: Dieng 6; Kakay 5, Dickie 7, Barbet 6; Adomah 6 (Ball (74th) 5), Thomas 5 (Lumley (60th) 7), Johansen
6, Wallace 6; Chair 6 (Duke-McKenna
86th); Willock 6 (Field (74th) 5), Dykes 6
STAR MAN: Duncan Watmore
REF: M Donohue