Mehmeti’s merry moment

GARETH AINSWORTH vowed Wycombe could defy the odds and stay up after seeing them earn a deserved late point against QPR.

Teenage substitute Anis Mehmeti’s first senior goal rescued a point after Jason McCarthy’s own-goal.

The Chairboys squandered the game’s best opportunities and although they earned a share of the spoils, relegation favourites Wycombe slipped to the bottom.

Boss Ainsworth said: “We are going to stay in this league.

“We’ve got to finish above three teams and that’s what we’re going to do.

“It’s not blind faith because I know we’re good enough to give anyone a game.

“I thought we created enough to win. The story of the game is that we’ve got to take our chances.”

Rangers took the lead when Ilias Chair’s low cross took a deflection and was turned into his own net by McCarthy.

With both sides desperate for points, the intensity never dropped and Ainsworth – nicknamed ‘The Wild Thing’ for his rock star looks – had to remind his players to keep their cool as referee Gavin Ward waved away penalty appeals for handball.

The home side levelled two minutes from time when Mehmeti raced forward and squeezed a shot into the near corner, 12 minutes after coming off the bench.

“Today we’ve dropped two valuable points,” said Rangers boss Mark Warburton. “I’m frustrated to give away a late goal again. We’ve got to finish the game off.”

WYCOMBE: Allsop 7; Grimmer 7, McCarthy 6, Knight 6, Jacobson 6; Wheeler 6, Freeman 7 (Mehmeti 76), Horgan 7; McCleary 6 (Onyedinma 65, 6), Akinfenwa 7, Kashket 6 (Ikpeazu 76). Unused subs: Stockdale, Bloomfield, Charles, Samuel, Parker.

QPR: Dieng 8; Kane 6, Dickie 7, Barbet 6, Hamalainen 6; Osayi-Samuel 7, Cameron 7, Ball 6, Chair 8 (Bonne 80); Carroll 7 (Willock 76); Dykes 6.

Unused subs: Thomas, Masterson, Bettache, Kelman, Kelly, Adomah, De Seliva.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Seny Dieng. The Rangers keeper earned his side a point with a string of saves to keep Wycombe out for much of the second half. REFEREE: Gavin Ward 6.