Queens Park Rangers vs Bristol City. Sky Bet Championship.
Loftus Road StadiumAttendance17,335.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between QPR and Bristol City at Loftus Road
Monday 8 May 2023 18:32, UK
QPR suffered their 12th home defeat of a miserable season as Bristol City ended the Sky Bet Championship campaign by winning 2-0 at Loftus Road.
Mark Sykes and Sam Bell scored for the Robins, who ended the season 14th in the table.
Rangers, who were top in October but only secured safety from relegation by winning at Stoke in their previous match, finished 20th and there is clearly lots of work for boss Gareth Ainsworth to do over the summer.
Defensive lapses have been a regular feature of their dismal season and another led to them going behind on 28 minutes.
Rob Dickie headed Alex Scott's left-wing delivery as far as former Bristol City winger Albert Adomah, who, deep inside his own penalty area, attempted to clear with an overhead kick.
Adomah made a hash of it, enabling Cameron Pring to cross for Sykes to finish from close range.
The home defence was sliced open again six minutes before half-time, this time when Sykes played in Tommy Conway, who took on Dickie before dragging a shot wide of the target.
Another ex-City player, Chris Martin, who joined QPR in February having been released by the Robins, went close to equalising early in the second half when he headed over from Adomah's cross.
Rangers threatened again when Jimmy Dunne's glancing header from Kenneth Paal's right-wing corner drifted wide of the far post.
But there was no way back for the hosts after Bell doubled City's lead on 55 minutes.
Joe Williams chipped the ball in behind the Rangers defence, who appealed in vain for offside as Bell slotted past goalkeeper Seny Dieng.
Adomah shot wide, QPR striker Lyndon Dykes saw a shot deflected over and Ilias Chair went close with a curling effort from near the edge of the penalty area as Ainsworth's side tried to find a way back into the match.
They also had appeals for a penalty waved away when Dickie went down under a challenge from Pring while attempting to get to Chair's cross.
Ainsworth made changes, sending on forwards Chris Willock and Jamal Lowe in an attempt to find the elusive goal, but City remained fairly comfortable.
Lowe's late cross evading Dykes summed up a frustrating afternoon for the west London club - and a season their fans will certainly want to forget.
QPR’s Gareth Ainsworth:
“It just hits home and gives me more evidence of what I need to do in the summer. There are big changes that need to happen here. We’ve got to have real, big changes here in the summer. I’m realising that more and more. You’ve got to be passionate. You’ve got to be crawling off that pitch at the end of the game. I was really expecting a bit more today.
“But I don’t want to let it get to me too much. I’ve got to sort my squad out and sort the changes out. I want a proper team that reflects the way I am, the way I manage, the way I want things done - and I aim to do that. I’m sure there will be a lot of comings and goings throughout the summer. I want to be in here sorting it out and I’ll do my best to do that. It’s going to be tough. But, given the chance and given the backing, I think I can bring the right characters in.”
Bristol City’s Nigel Pearson:
“I think our fan base is quite excited about how this young team can move forward. Now we’ve got to get the additions right and see if we can shape the squad in a way that we can be competitive in the top half, looking to push on for the play-off places. There’s no point setting standards low or trying to be too safe with predictions. We’ve got to start delivering.
“The players are capable, but we need to win games like today that potentially could go either way. We’ve been involved in games this season where we really should pick points up and we’ve not. So I’m pleased today. I think it’s important that the players and staff come back refreshed and ready to really push on. It’s not about being happy with small progressions - it’s about trying to be successful. The future for the club will be bright for many years to come, which is good.”
