QPR's Comeback - De Canio Praises QPR and Ainsworth and Ainsworth as Coach... Preston's Irvine: Preston Better Team Should Have Won

-
SPORTING LIFE - DE CANIO SINGS AINSWORTH'S PRAISES
QPR boss Luigi De Canio insisted Gareth Ainsworth still has major role as a player after inspiring an amazing comeback in the 2-2 draw at home to Preston.
Goals from Neil Mellor and Tamas Priskin looked like giving the visitors a resounding victory.
But veteran winger Ainsworth, who has effectively been working as De Canio's assistant, pulled a goal back and set up a last-gasp equaliser for Dexter Blackstock.
"Gareth is an extraordinary individual," said De Canio.
"His spirit and character make him part of the spirit of this club.
"He is still a player, it's just that I know the character he is and how much he is respected by the other players, so I use that.
"He is not officially on the coaching staff, although that is possible in the future. His role at the moment is as a player and an assistant to me."
Preston went ahead when Paul McKenna's corner was headed on by Youl Mawene and Mellor volleyed into the net.
Mellor was replaced at the break by Priskin, who appealed in vain for a penalty when he was challenged in the area by Fitz Hall early in the second half.
There was no escape for Rangers when keeper Lee Camp failed to gather Chris Sedgwick's low cross and Priskin bundled in Preston's second goal.
But Ainsworth, on as a substitute, scored with a spectacular looping shot from 20 yards in the 89th minute and then crossed from the right for Blackstock to head home.
De Canio added: "Having had other teams come back against us so often, it was nice to see us do it this time.
"It looked like a cursed day where nothing was going our way, but I must stress the character of the team and they showed it in coming back."

[And as noted previously, De Canio on the Official Site said of Ainsworth: "Gareth is the heart and soul of this Club..."He's an extraordinary individual, who has the respect of everyone who knows him."He is the spirit, the heart and the attitude of QPR and he deserved to be the hero today." QPROfficial]

Preston manager Alan Irvine felt his side deserved to win after dominating most of the game.
Irvine said: "Everyone can see that we should have won the match. Undoubtedly, we were the better team.
"We had four very good chances before we scored and in the second half we looked very comfortable. We got the second goal and probably should have had a penalty as well.
"I don't think it was a case of us losing our nerve. It was just that QPR threw men forward because at that stage they had nothing to lose.
"We're very disappointed, but we move on. If we approach the final games in the same way we should have good results between now and the end of the season."
Irvine confirmed that Mellor was taken off because of a hamstring problem.
He said: "Neil's hamstring felt very tight. We're hoping he hasn't pulled it.
"We got him in at half-time and it was clear that it would have been a big risk to send him back out there. Hamstring injuries and quick players are not a good mix."
Sporting Life

Also: Lancashire Evening Post - Irvine: 'We were the better team'
Alan Irvine was left to rue a final minute of madness after his side were denied their sixth win in seven games.
Goals by in-form Neil Mellor and Tamas Priskin gave North End a comfortable lead.
But Gareth Ainsworth and Dexter Blackstock struck in injury time to stun Irvine's side.
Irvine said: "Everyone can see that we should have won the match. Undoubtedly, we were the better team.
"We had four very good chances before we scored and in the second half we looked very comfortable. We got the second goal and probably should have had a penalty as well.
"I don't think it was a case of us losing our nerve. It was just that QPR threw men forward because at that stage they had nothing to lose.
"We're very disappointed, but we move on. If we approach the final games in the same way we should have good results between now and the end of the season."
QPR boss Luigi De Canio said: "Having had other teams come back against us so often, it was nice to see us do it this time.
"It looked like a cursed day where nothing was going our way, but I must stress the character of the team and they showed it in coming back." Lancashire Evening Post


Lancashire Evening Post/Brian Ellis - QPR 2 Preston North End 2
Two goals at the death robbed Preston of a deserved victory at Loftus Road.
And it was old boy Gareth Ainsworth - not Patrick Agyemang - who returned to haunt Alan Irvine's side.

Ainsworth, who spent three separate spells at Deepdale, scored one and made the other to salvage a point from a game North End had dominated from the start to very nearly the finish.

Coasting towards victory at 2-0 up with the clock ticking into the 90th minute, the visitors were hit by a disastrous double to unbelievably end up all-square.

First Ainsworth hooked in a right wing cross from the edge of the box, his shot looping up over keeper Andrew Lonergan and landing in the far corner of the net.

And then, in the third minute of stoppage time, the winger produced the cross from the right which Dexter Blackstock headed beyond Lonergan to claim a draw Rangers had hardly deserved.

It was a real sickener for manager Irvine whose side looked to be heading for their sixth win in seven unbeaten games following goals from Neil Mellor (41) and sub Tamas Priskin (65).

But Ainsworth, on as a 66th minute sub for Gavin Mahon, turned the game around with his rampaging runs fown the right-hand side.

However a draw gave Irvine the single point to reach 54 and safety from the drop.

Preston, playing in red for the first time since their 4-1 FA Cup thrashing of Premier League Derby County, could have gone in front inside the first four minutes when a lucky rebound put Neil Mellor through on the left of goal.

But keeper Lee Camp spread himself to block the striker's shot and the ball bounced away for a corner.

Minutes later Camp was Rangers' saviour again when a clever ball inside right-back Michael Mancienne gave Simon Whaley a chance, but the keeper got down to save with his legs.

And when Chris Brown's far post effort was deflected past the upright by defender Fitz Hall the home side were fortunate to have got through the opening 10 minutes still level.

Preston continued to look the more dangerous of the two sides and Sean St Ledger tested Camp with a header from a corner, the keeper catching the ball just under his crossbar.

When Carter sliced a volley just over the top the Rangers fans started to remind their players which side was meant to be at home.

It took QPR 34 minutes to win their first corner and two minutes later they managed their first effort on goal - but thanks to Andrew Lonergan it did not result in a goal completely against the run of play.

North End passed the ball around in their own half until Youl Mawene lost it to Dexter Blackstock and the striker moved forward before unleashing a ferocious shot which Lonergan flung himself across to his right to beat away.

But having come close to going behind, Preston went in front almost immediately at the other end.

Skipper McKenna swung a corner in from the right, Mawene flicked the ball on and Mellor caught it on the volley at the far post to open the scoring.

Mellor left the field at half-time feeling his hamstring and did not reappear for the second half.

Tamas Priskin, making possibly the last appearance of his month on loan, took his place alongside Chris Brown.

And the Hungary international was straight into the action, tumbling in the box under a challenge from Fitz Hall, with referee Clive Penton
waving away his claims for a penalty.

Rangers, clearly given a half-time gee up by manager Luigi De Canio, were more of an attacking force than they had been in the first half.

But twice midfielder Martin Rowlands was wide of the target from outside the box. And when he got into the area for a third effort, team-mate Agyemang got in the way and the ball bounced wide.

But as Rangers pushed forward they were undone on the counter-attack after 65 minutes with Preston raiding down the left.

Sedgwick's twists and turns left Gavin Mahon on his backside in the box, he crossed low and Priskin turned it over the line
from close range under pressure from Matthew Connolly.

The striker could have had a second moments later when he rose to meet a corner by McKenna from the right, but keeper Camp flung himself to his left to pull off a stunning one-handed save on the line.

And the miss proved costly as QPR pulled off their amazing last-gasp escape

Callum Davidson and Simon Whaley were both declared fit as Preston named an unchanged side for the visit to the Londoners.

Manager Alan Irvine was able to field the same starting 11 - and the same bench - as North End went to West London in search of the result to finally guarantee safety from the drop.

Full-back Davidson and winger Whaley were both hurt in the 3-1 home win over Sheffield United.

But the pair were back in training by Thursday and both came through
without a reaction to keep their places.

Rangers, level on points with Preston in lower mid-table, had ex-Deepdale favourite Pat rick Agyemang spearheading their attack.

The striker had scored nine goals in 15 league games prior to facing his old team-mates.

And the Londoners also had former North End hero Gareth Ainsworth on the bench...Lancashire Evening Post


See Also: Earlier Reports and Comments re QPR 2 Preston 2