HOOPS HOPES DASHED IN THE POTTERIES
MARK Warburton was left feeling frustrated after QPR’s slim playoff hopes were extinguished in defeat at Stoke.
The Rs failed to register a shot on target as they suffered an eighth defeat in 11 matches, with Jacob Brown’s goal on the stroke of half-time proving their undoing.
Warburton said: “I’m very disappointed with the firsthalf performance – we looked like a team trying not to win. We were better in the second half, but still two or three gears below where we should be.
“I talk a lot about having no regrets in what you do, and if you leave the pitch with no regrets then you can hold your head high. Maybe they need to feel that regret.
“There’s still a lot to play for. We have a responsibility to the QPR fans, each and every one of them. When I hear people say they’re meaningless games, you’re a pro playing in front of people who have paid money to see you play, so I can’t have that.”
Stoke, who have now won five of their last seven league games, took the ascendancy from the first kick and nearly opened the scoring inside two minutes through Lewis Baker.
A Josh Tymon cross was flicked on inadvertently by a QPR head to the feet of Baker, whose prodded half-volley dropped just wide.
Despite Stoke’s bright start, they nearly found themselves behind in bizarre circumstances when Taylor HarwoodBellis almost miscontrolled a pass directly into his own net.
Keiren Westwood rolled back the years with a sequence of impressive stops, first denying a Romaine Sawyers strike from range with his feet after it took a wicked deflection.
Josh Maja continued the hosts’ assault before half time when he attempted to guide a curling effort into the far corner, but again Westwood was equal to it.
However, the Potters’ persistence eventually paid off in added time when QPR failed to clear a Lewis Baker corner with poacher Brown on hand to rifle in his 13th league goal of the season from an acute angle.
Westwood was then again required in quick succession to keep the Rs in the fixture.
First, Harwood-Bellis’ powerful header was palmed over before a cute Sawyers cutback found Maja in a promising position, only for the latter to also be thwarted. George
Thomas handed the Potters two warning signs after the hour mark, first advancing forward before blazing high over the target from a promising position.
The Welsh international then struck a post with a header from an acute angle.
Stoke assistant-boss Dean Holden said: “When we scored the goal, it was the least we deserved going in 1-0 up at half-time. We went in with 16 crosses, seven corners and 10 shots, which was pleasing.
“We knew what they were going to come with; it was win or bust for them. But we restricted them to very little and I think we controlled the game without the ball in the second half.
“Overall, it was good to get a 90-minute performance at home.”