Rangers’ Bright spark earns draw
OSAYI-SAMUEL SAVES A POINT AGAINST BORO
BRIGHT Osayi-Samuel’s equaliser earned a point for QPR in a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough.
Chuba Akpom scored on his debut to put Boro ahead at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, where Osayi-Samuel quickly hit back for the hosts and was a threat throughout.
Boro boss Neil Warnock has been self-isolating after recently testing positive for coronavirus and did not attend the match against the club he guided to promotion to the top flight in 2011.
However, he will have been heartened by striker Akpom’s perfect start to his Boro career.
QPR manager Mark Warburton, on the other hand, will have been far from pleased by the shoddy defending which led to the opening goal after 19 minutes.
Rangers’ shortcomings at the back, evident throughout last season and during their recent 3-2 defeat at Coventry, were shown up again when Lee Wallace allowed Akpom to drift away from him and score with a glancing near-post header from Paddy McNair’s leftwing corner.
The hosts levelled nine minutes later when Osman Kakay sent the ball in from the right and Luke Amos’s shot was parried by keeper Marcus Bettinelli towards OsayiSamuel, who netted from close range.
Rangers then enjoyed a spell of pressure and appealed in vain for a penalty after Amos’s shot was blocked by the arm of George Saville – again after good work on the flank by right-back Kakay, who this week signed a new four-year contract.
Boro also had loud shouts for a penalty ignored just before the interval when former QPR defender Grant Hall went down under a challenge from Lyndon Dykes.
Chances were at a premium after the restart, but Tom Carroll almost put Rangers ahead midway through the second half.
Carroll, on as a substitute, collected Dykes’ pass and turned away from McNair before firing against the post.
The ball cannoned off Bettinelli’s back and Osayi-Samuel was just unable to force it home from close range as Dael Fry cleared the danger.
At the other end, Saville and Britt Assombalonga were both unable to make contact with Marcus Tavernier’s cross from the right.
Akpom slotted into the net late on, but an offside flag denied him a second goal.
Boro were workmanlike but are still waiting for their first league win of the season.
QPR, meanwhile, are hoping winger Osayi-Samuel will end doubts over his future at the club by finally signing an improved contract, having previously rejected offers of a new deal.
QPR manager Mark Warburton revealed he left out Joe Lumley because of doubts over the goalkeeper’s future.
Lumley watched from the stands alongside Ryan Manning. The contracts of both players expire next year and the latter has rejected offers of a new deal.
Swiss keeper Seny Dieng was brought in for his Rangers debut and impressed.
Warburton said: “It’s down to contracts. We’ve got players at different stages with their contract [talks] and my squad reflected that.
“Players can get distracted by different things. I’ve got to pick the right squad and that was the right squad for today.
“I was very impressed with Seny. I thought he had presence, his handling was good, he did well under pressure and his distribution is obviously good – he can throw it and release it.
“I thought he reassured the back four as well. He must be really pleased with his contribution.
“I’ve got to pick what is right at the time and do what’s best for the club. Seny was my choice and I was very pleased with him.”
Warburton praised his side but felt they should have taken all three points.
He added: “Middlesbrough are a tough team with a lot of physicality and we had to stand up to them, but it feels like we dropped two points.”