R’S LATE SHOW STINGS THE BEES
A COUPLE of amazing comebacks stole the show amid some tasty midweek action.
QPR set the ball rolling by coming back from 2-0 down in injury time to snatch a dramatic draw against neighbours Brentford on Monday night.
Two well-taken second-half goals from Lasse Vibe seemed to have the Bees coasting to victory, but then came the lastgasp R’s heroics.
Striker Matt Smith nodded home in the 93rd minute for what appeared to be a mere consolation. However, it took on a new light when he then knocked the ball down for Luke Freeman to turn in the equaliser a minute later.
Relieved QPR boss Ian Holloway said: “For me, it feels like a win. For them, it probably feels like a defeat.”
The R’s chief also had a pop at supporters who left early.
“I was disappointed with our fans and with their fans,” he said.
“I’d like to say to ours, ‘You should have stayed’. Everyplace body who did stay, well done, you deserved that. Don’t go home early.
“If you missed it, you ain’t half missed something.”
However, in a video message, Ollie later apologised to R’s fans if his remarks had upset them.
Cruising
Incredibly, there was an action replay of the west London events at Charlton the following night in League One. Visitors Peterborough led 2-0, courtesy of goals from Gwion Edwards and Jack Marriott and appeared to be cruising to victory.
However, the Addicks had a glimmer of hope when Ricky Holmes netted from the spot in the 91st minute after Jake Forster-Caskey had been fouled by Edwards. And three minutes later Karlan Ahearne-Grant pounced on a Naby Sarr knockdown to level.
Fuming Posh boss Grant McCann hit out at referee John Brooks for his side’s failure to cling on to all three points. He felt his side should have had a penalty for a ‘foul’ by Ahmed Kashi on Edwards and also disputed the one given against Edwards.
“It’s an absolute howler of a show from the referee,” McCann told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.
“He couldn’t wait to give them the penalty. It’s exactly the same in their box. My man gets absolutely smashed. No penalty. Theirs does. Penalty.”
Important
Back in the Championship, there were two fixtures on Tuesday night. Ipswich pulled off a gutsy 1-0 win at in-form
Derby to climb to ninth in the table, just three points behind the sixth-placed Rams.
Everton loanee Callum Connolly headed home in the fifth minute to give the Tractor Boys the lead and they hung on doggedly to grind out an important victory.
Reading moved up to 16th by brushing Barnsley aside at the Madejski Stadium. Dave Edwards headed home in the 20th minute to give the Royals the lead and Jaap Stam’s men had breathing space when Joey van den Berg drove home the second nine minutes later.
Sub Jon Dadi Bodvarsson put the icing on the cake with the third two minutes from time as Barnsley’s slide continues.
In the other League One game, on-song Blackburn
Rovers made it four successive league wins and climbed to fourth in the table with an impressive 4-2 win at Blackpool.
Rovers’ Marcus Antonsson drew first blood in the Lancashire derby with a 25th-minute goal, but the Seasiders were level four minutes later through a Kelvin Mellor header.
The game turned back in the visitors’ favour when Bradly Dack slotted home on the stroke of half-time.
Second-half goals from Charlie Mulgrew and Paul Downing put Tony Mowbray’s men in total control, before sub Danny Philliskirk netted a consolation for Blackpool.