Queens Park Rangers vs Reading. Sky Bet Championship.
Loftus Road StadiumAttendance15,721.
Toni Leistner goes close for QPR but match ends goalless
Saturday 29 December 2018 18:31, UK
Reading ended QPR's winning run, drawing 0-0 at Loftus Road to give new boss Jose Gomes his first Sky Bet Championship point.
QPR defender Toni Leistner went closest to breaking the deadlock, twice hitting the bar. He blasted against the woodwork after Reading had failed to clear Luke Freeman's corner 10 minutes before half-time, and again late on.
However, struggling Reading, in their second game under Gomes, were the better side for much of the match.
QPR, chasing a fourth consecutive victory and potentially a place in the top six, sorely missed Massimo Luongo in midfield.
Already without the injured Geoff Cameron, QPR could also be without Luongo for as many as seven matches because of his involvement with Australia at the Asian Cup.
They struggled in his absence as Reading passed the ball around with ease at times, especially during a one-sided first-half spell prior to Leistner rattling the upright.
The Royals made a lively start to the second half, with John Swift lifting a free-kick onto the top of the net shortly before Modou Barrow was denied by a point-blank save by QPR 'keeper Joe Lumley after exchanging passes with Garath McCleary inside the penalty area.
QPR responded by dominating the final quarter of the match and had a decent appeal for a penalty waved away after Nahki Wells went down under a challenge from Andrew Rinomhota, while attempting to latch onto Freeman's pass.
Wells then volleyed wide of the near post from an awkward angle after being set up by Tiago Ilori's weak back-header.
As QPR continued to press, Royals 'keeper Anssi Jaakkola saved at the feet of Pawel Wszolek, who was sent through by a fabulous pass from Ebere Eze.
Wells then sent a first-time shot over after being found by a low corner from Freeman, who was increasingly influential for QPR in the second half.
Freeman was denied by a fine save from Jaakola, who dived to keep out the playmaker's spectacular volley shortly before Leistner struck the bar for the second time.
The visitors remained a threat on the counter-attack and in the final seconds Lumley dived to his left to push away a shot from substitute Danny Loader.
Reading are now without a win in nine league games but Gomes can take plenty of encouragement from their performance, although their lack of a cutting edge up front was always evident.
Steve McClaren: "It was a game of two halves. They dominated the first half and it took us a while, with Luongo going out, to adjust with Jordan and Josh in there. We couldn't quite get the press on Reading and they had too much possession, but we sorted that out at half-time and I thought in the second half we were excellent.
"I thought in the second half Josh and Jordan were very good and were instrumental in us just getting a bit of front foot - a bit of pressure on Reading. Once we did that and got about them we created chances. We're disappointed and frustrated that we didn't win the game, because in the second half we certainly had the best chances."
Jose Gomes: "If you just watched this match, I think nobody could say we are at the bottom of the table, so beautiful they played and with fantastic confidence. I enjoyed the courage that my players showed today. The feeling is that we lost two points.
"We had maybe around 80 per cent of the possession in the first half - beautiful football and positive actions. Today we created a lot of chances. We played very positive football and played near QPR's box for a long time. I'm happy with the things they tried to do but I am not happy with the result. I think we deserved to win today."
