Mark Warburton provides post-game assessment as QPR earn point against promotion-chasing Watford

BY NICK KITUNO

Queens Park Rangers dropped two points against a “very good” Watford team, says Mark Warburton.

Ben Wilmot put the visitors in front just after two minutes, but the promotion contenders struggled to capitalise as the R’s were on top for large periods in their search for an equaliser.

Ilias Chair put them back on level terms with 14 minutes to go when a well-worked move saw him tuck the ball into the far corner following Lyndon Dykes’ flick-on.

Warburton was left unhappy with the way his side conceded, but praised their reaction to coming back from behind.

He said: “I thought we more than deserved it, it wasn’t a lucky point. I thought it was more than deserved. I thought we dropped a couple of points against a very good team.

“You give away a really poor goal in the first two minutes from a corner, and not get a foot on the clearance, but then the reaction was very good. Ben Foster made a tremendous save from Dom Ball, outstanding save against Macca [Macauley Bonne] at the far post.

“Then, in the second half, Seny [Dieng] never had a save to make. I thought we looked in complete control in the second half and looked dangerous. Got the equaliser, a huge penalty shout with Yoann Barbet, and just looked dangerous.

“Everyone will say, ‘Well done, you nicked a point against a team at the top of the league,’ but I thought we more than deserved that.”

Both sides appealed for penalties during the game, but none were awarded by referee Michael Salisbury. QPR looked to improve as the game went on, as substitutes Dykes, Albert Adomah, Chris Willock and Niko Hamalainen came on to influence the game.

Warburton added: “As the game went on, I thought we looked stronger and stronger and more than deserved the equaliser. It was a very well-crafted goal by the players. They deserve a lot of credit, and as I say, looked the fitter and stronger team.

“Watford are a very good team. [They have] lots of quality throughout their ranks, so a very well deserved point at least.”