Queens Park Rangers vs Coventry City. Sky Bet Championship.
Loftus Road StadiumAttendance14,173.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Queens Park Rangers and Coventry City at Loftus Road on Tuesday night; Kieran Morgan earns point for QPR after Haji Wright opener.
Tuesday 22 October 2024 23:04, UK
Teenager Kieran Morgan's first career goal lifted QPR off the foot of the Sky Bet Championship as they scrapped to a 1-1 draw against Coventry.
The 18-year-old midfielder, making only his second substitute appearance for Rangers, struck midway through the second half to snatch a point.
QPR had fallen behind to an early Haji Wright goal as fellow early-season strugglers Coventry went in search of a first away win of the campaign.
Morgan denied them that, and while Rangers' wait for a first home win of a torrid season so far goes on, they did at least climb above Portsmouth on goal difference at the bottom of the table.
Coventry went ahead after only four minutes when Rangers made an almighty mess of trying to clear their lines after goalkeeper Paul Nardi parried a close-range header from Milan van Ewijk.
The ball eventually fell to United States forward Wright, who spun in the box and hit a low drive which found its way through a crowd of players into the bottom of Nardi's net.
Wright almost had a second five minutes later following another quick break from the Sky Blues, but this time his shot fizzed wide.
Rangers should have been level after a quarter of an hour when Koki Sato, on as an early substitute for the injured Kenneth Paal, reached the byline and pulled the ball back invitingly for Sam Field, but the midfielder blazed over from 15 yards.
But without striker Michael Frey, absent with a calf injury, the hosts were blunt in attack in a frustrating first half.
Paul Smyth fired wide across goal, a Sato volley was deflected off target and Ilias Chair's low, bouncing effort was comfortably held by City keeper Oliver Dovin.
Coventry threatened at the start of the second half when Josh Eccles' low cross was poked past his own goal by Steve Cook as Brandon Thomas-Asante slid in to apply the finish.
However, QPR hauled themselves level just after the hour mark when Smyth got free down the right. The winger's cross was met by Morgan, who had only been on the pitch as a substitute for five minutes.
Morgan's first-time volley was not the cleanest of hits, but it bounced into the turf before looping up over a helpless Dovin and into the net.
Coventry had a late chance to break their duck on the road, but Nardi made a fine save from substitute Ellis Simms before Dovin denied Lucas Andersen at the death as both sides had to settle for a point.
QPR's Marti Cifuentes:
"It was not the result we wanted. We never start a game thinking a point would be good.
"But after a difficult start and the kind of struggles we have had lately, the main thing today was the performance.
"We are in a difficult situation, but there is strong trust and strong commitment that we can get it right."
Coventry's Mark Robins:
"I think it was a game between two teams who lacked a bit of belief and confidence.
"We started brightly, got our goal and that gave us confidence and belief for a short spell. But both teams kept giving the ball way; 'you have it, no you have it'.
"We ended up just giving the ball away too often and couldn't get that foothold. That could be the lack of confidence because we haven't won games.
"It was a poor goal to concede. The goalkeeper should have saved it. We can't concede a goal like that.
"And then when Ellis has a team-mate in a better position to score a goal, you have to pass it to them."
