QPR’s Championship play-off dreams completely ended as ‘very poor goal’ sees them lose at Stoke City

Mark Warburton reckoned that QPR’s 1-0 defeat against Stoke City on Saturday was down to conceding a “very poor goal”.

Jacob Brown’s goal in first-half injury time sealed all three points for the Potters and killed off any hopes the R’s could make the Championship play-offs.

Warburton said: “We knew what we had to do, but we lacked any pace, purpose or intensity in the first half and that is the most frustrating thing.

“We never forced a save from the keeper. We have lost today to what, from our point of view, was a very poor goal and we lost with a whimper – which is not the QPR way.

“In the second half we were much better but we were still two or three gears below where we know we should be.

“We needed to move the ball with purpose, with intensity and pace, be brave with decision making, we played backwards and square, we needed to trust our technique, take the ball on the half turn, drive at them and commit numbers.

“We didn’t have a cross in the first half, at least we had some crosses in the second half. We were better in the second half but we didn’t do enough to really go and win a game of football, which is what we had to do today.

“We changed to three at the back and looked more threatening but when we did have chances we didn’t really test the keeper like we should have done. It’s that quality in the final third which wins you games and today we didn’t show it.

“We have got two games left to go and beat last season’s points total which is very important.

“We want two good performances against Sheffield United and Swansea. If you haven’t got that desire and that hunger to go and do it, then you shouldn’t be in that dressing room.”

PICTURES: ROB AVIS