QPR manager Mark Warburton rues defensive lapse in 1-1 draw at Millwall
BY NICK KITUNO
Mark Warburton was again left ruing Queens Park Rangers’ defensive lapses as they only came away with a point at Millwall.
The game courted significant attention prior to kick-off after Millwall fans booed their own players when they took the knee prior to a 1-0 defeat to Derby County last weekend.
The Lions told matchgoing fans in a letter on entry that their behaviour was being watched across the world, and that the game was “one of the most important in the club’s history”. Both teams stood arm-in-arm before the game with an anti-racism message which was applauded by the supporters in attendance.
Ilias Chair broke the deadlock eight minutes into the second half when he fired home from the outside the box. The Lions made several changes past the hour and were rewarded when substitute Jon Dadi Bodvarsson’s deflected effort found its way into the net.
Neither side could add another after that as they settled for a draw at the full-time whistle.
QPR boss Warburton was pleased with the goal which put Rangers in front, but left frustrated with the equaliser and felt they should have won the game.
He said: “We get a very good goal and we had a massive chance to get a second goal straight after it almost, which would have killed the game.
“I thought Lyndon [Dykes] was excellent tonight, he worked his socks off for the team. A big chance fell there.”
Goalscorer Chair teed up Dykes for a major opportunity from a long ball into the box, only for Millwall shotstopper Bartosz Bialkowski to deny Dykes at close range.
On the Lions’ equaliser, Warburton added: “We’ve got to be smarter. Stop the free-kick, just delay it. We flip the ball back to them and then we had people pointing. We have just got to get in front of the ball and kill it.
“We know it is coming in our box, they have got some physicality, they are very good at what they do. Big Smudger [Matt Smith] came on and posed a real threat, but we had dealt with everything up to that point and it was a silly goal to give away. It was a poor goal to give away.
“People will say it’s a tough place to come, it’s a good point, [but] we should have taken all three I think is how I assess it.”
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