QPR Held at home by Leicester - Reports & Comments

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QPR drew 1-1 at home to Leicester City and are now just two points away from being in the bottom three.
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John Gregory - QPR Official Site "MAKING A POINT"
John Gregory praised the resilience and character of his players after the 1-1 draw with Leicester City.
"I think we more than deserved the point. We know we should have come off the pitch with a victory, but it just wasn't to be.
"Rob Kelly and his players will be delighted to be leaving West London with a point.''
Having taken a first half lead courtesy of Patrick Kisnorbo's early header, the Foxes were reduced to ten men midway through the second half when Gareth McAuley saw red for deliberate handball.
Martin Rowlands scored from the resultant spot-kick, but the R's failed to make their numerical advantage count in the closing stages.
"When you are playing against ten men it is still two banks of four, so it's not always easy to break a team down.
"Credit to Leicester, they came here witha game plan, did their homework and they've left with a point.''
Gregory also stated he'll be in a better position to assess his start as Rangers boss after the trip to Cardiff City on November 17th.
"After Cardiff we'll be in a better position to see where we are at.
"The stats say everything. We've got two wins, two draws and two defeats since I arrived, but I think the positives far outweigh the negatives.''
Gregory did however bemoan the R's defending: "We keep handicapping ourselves by conceding sloppy, early goals.
"There's little I can do when that happens. It's the old adage of when the players cross the white line, it's up to them to lay down a marker and we're not doing that at the moment.''
QPR

Leicester Official Site - Managerial Comments
Kelly Content With Draw
Leicester City manager Rob Kelly said he was satisfied to leave Loftus Road with a point after his side battled out a 1-1 draw with QPR on Saturday afternoon.

The Foxes took the lead with seven minutes on the clock - Patrick Kisnorbo heading home for his fourth of the season from a Danny Tiatto free-kick.

But the game turned on its head in the 68th minute when Gareth McAuley was adjudged to have handled inside his own area. The defender was sent off for his troubles - and Martin Rowlands made no mistake from the resulting penalty kick.

Kelly said: "We always set out to win games, but in the context of this match we have got to be pleased to get a point. It was a real battling performance from our players in difficult circumstances on the back of the week that we have had.

"We started the game well and scored early. That is something that we work quite hard on.

"But I thought that we had quite a few tired players out there today. We couldn't really change it because we just don't have the personnel to do that at the moment.

"John (Gregory) has got it going here. They are a bit different now and they are really up and at you.

"That's seven league games unbeaten now, and that's a base for us to build from.

"Until their penalty I just thought that we were going to see it out. We had just weathered it and it had gone a bit quiet. But we've made a mistake for the goal.

"We showed spirit. We've played 20 minutes at the end with 10 men on the back of 120 minutes on Tuesday night. I don't think the supporters could have asked of any more of the players."

Kelly finally gave an update on the fitness of James Wesolowski, who was forced from the field at half time through injury.

He added: "James took a bit of a kick during the first half and following the game against Villa on Tuesday we thought it best to take him off. It's too soon at the moment to be able to tell whether or not he'll be available for the Stoke game."
Leicester

QPR Official Site
Ten-man Leicester held on for a share of the spoils, at the end of an absorbing contest in W12.
The Foxes survived a second half onslaught from the R's to leave West London with a point, after Gareth McAuley saw red midway through the second half for deliberate handball.
Martin Rowlands stuck away the resultant spot-kick to set up a grandstand finish, but the Foxes survived and thanks to Patrick Kisnorbo's early header, made the trip back up the M1 with a plucky point.
Leicester led at the break, despite the R's creating a flurry of golden opportunities in an end-to-end first half.
Rangers' inability to keep their concentration in the opening exchanges came back to haunt them yet again, as Patrick Kisnorbo coasted into the box unchallenged to head past Simon Royce.

It was the fifth match in succession in which the R's have given conceded inside the opening quarter of an hour - a stat that will no doubt concern gaffer John Gregory.

Undeterred, Rangers went on to orchestrate proceedings for the remainder of the half, with Dexter Blackstock the chief destroyer.

On another afternoon, the R's summer signing could have bagged a first half hat-trick, but Conrad Logan was in inspired form for the Foxes.
Gregory made three changes to the side which succumbed to a 3-2 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday.

Royce, Pat Kanyuka and Marc Nygaard all returned to the starting XI, while Steve Lomas was handed the captain's armband, with injury ruling out Marc Bircham.

Rangers made a promising start, yet despite an early rendition of 'Pig Bag' over the PA system, Dexter Blackstock's stunning second minute volley from Lee Cook's cross finished the wrong side of the post.

But it was Leicester who opened the scoring on six minutes, when Tiatto's sublime free-kick was glanced home by Kisnorbo.

The returning Royce appeared to be in control of the situation, but a slight moment's hesitancy allowed the Leicester captain the time and space he needed to finish in style.

The R's should have been on terms five minutes later, but after an almighty goalmouth scramble, Blackstock somehow scooped the ball over the bar from the edge of the six-yard box.

The better opportunities continued to fall the hosts' way and after Cook's free-kick was only half-cleared, Damion Stewart's close-range effort was superbly tipped round the post by Foxes custodian Conrad Logan.

Play quickly switched to the other end, with Royce on hand to palm away Iain Hume's effort from an acute angle.

The returning Kanyuka was soon forced from the fray with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, with Michael Mancienne coming on for his home debut.

Royce had to be at his agile best again in the 25th minute - this time on hand to save Elvis Hammond's 20-yard pile-driver.

Blackstock was leading the Foxes defence a merry dance and when the inspirational Steve Lomas fed a neat pass into his path, the former Southampton ace was unfortunate to see his looping effort finish inches over.

The same player forced Logan into another fine save on the half hour, as Rangers' superiority slowly but surely showed signs of paying dividends.

The outstanding Cook signalled Rangers' second half intentions inside the opening seconds, leaving three defenders in his wake, only to be hacked to ground by Tiatto.

Martin Rowlands' resultant free-kick flew high and wide, before the same player lobbed over from an impossible angle two minutes later.

Rowlands was like a man possessed at the start of the second half and when the ball fell to him on the edge of the box in the 53rd minute, only the width of the post denied him the goal his performance undoubtedly deserved.

Mancienne was growing in stature as the match evolved and when he was gifted the freedom of the final third, only another solid stop from Logan prevented him from opening his account for the R's.

However, despair turned to joy for the home crowd on 66 minutes, when referee Mr Stroud pointed to the spot and dismissed Gareth McAuley for deliberate handball after he palmed away Blackstock's goal-bound strike on the line.

Rowlands stepped up from the spot and made no mistake from 12-yards, sending Logan the wrong way to spark scenes of mass celebration amongst the home faithful.

The Blackstock-Logan battle showed no signs of easing up and when the former got goal-side of his marker at the back post, Logan produced more heroics, grasping the ball on his line.

Sensing the three points were there for the taking, Gregory introduced Gareth Ainsworth at the expense of the fatigued Rowlands - the fans' favourite returning after a 10-week lay-off due to a hamstring injury.

Yet despite their numerical advantage, the R's only had a weak Zesh Rehman header and a Jimmy Smith strike to show for their late efforts.

And their inability to create in the final third almost proved costly three minutes from time, when Hume fired at Royce and Matty Fryatt somehow fluffed his lines from six-yards.

QPR: Royce, Bignot, Stewart, Kanyuka (Mancienne 22), Rehman, Cook, Lomas, Smith, Rowlands (Ainsworth 74), Blackstock (Gallen 57), Nygaard.

Subs: Jones, Rose.

Scorers: Rowlands (pen) 67

Bookings: Lomas 21, Smith 88
Leicester City: Logan, Kisnorbo, Kenton, Hume, Tiatto, McAuley, Johansson, Stearman, Hammond (McCarthy 68), Wesolowski (Maybury 46), Welsh (Fryatt 74).
Subs: Henderson, Sylla.
Scorers: Kisnorbo 6
Bookings: Hume 89
Red Cards: McAuley 66
Attendance: 12, 340
Referee: Mr K P Stroud
QPR Official Site

Leicester Official Site
Ten-men Leicester City made it seven games unbeaten in the Championship after battling out a 1-1 draw at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday afternoon.

Patrick Kisnorbo's fourth goal of the season after just seven minutes handed the hosts an early advantage.

But Gareth McAuley's second half sending off, for a handball on the line, which resulted in Martin Rowlands drawing his side level from the penalty spot ensured the hosts a share of the spoils.

Iain Hume, Elvis Hammond and substitute Matty Fryatt also came close for the Foxes but Rob Kelly's men showed all their fighting qualities to keep Rangers at bay for the final 22 minutes and take home another vital point.

The hosts almost opened the scoring inside three minutes when Lee Cook's cross from the left was turned goalwards by Dexter Blackstock but his effort spun narrowly wide with Conrad Logan beaten.

However, it was the visitors who took the lead on seven minutes thanks to Kisnorbo's second goal in a week.

After Iain Hume had been fouled on the right flank, Danny Tiatto delivered a dangerous inswinging free-kick which was met by the head of his fellow Australian, who planted his effort past former Fox Simon Royce and into the back of the net for the opener.

But Rangers almost immediately hit back when Marc Nygaard's attempt from close range looped over the bar when it seemed easier to score.

The hosts continued to pour forward in search of the equaliser and were only denied by the athleticism of Logan on 16 minutes.
Cook's free-kick from the edge of the area fell at the feet of Patrick Kanyuka, via a deflection, and his snap-shot from six yards out was brilliantly palmed away by the young Irishman.

It was end-to-end action and, after latching on to a neat ball up the left flank by Nils-Eric Johansson, Hume's first time volley forced Royce into a diving save at his near post.

Steve Lomas was booked for a foul on Andy Welsh in the 22nd minute before the injured Kanyuka made way for substitute Michael Mancienne a minute later.

Hume just failed to connect with Welsh's low cross from the left soon after then Elvis Hammond forced Royce into a fine save after unleashing an effort from the edge of the area.

The striker was again involved moments later but this time his shot failed to trouble a back-tracking Royce.

Blackstock put his shot on the turn narrowly over on the half-hour before Gareth McAuley cleared off the line with Logan beaten after Jimmy Smith's pull-back from the left-hand by-line.

QPR continued to search for a first-half leveller but the Foxes were equal to the task and soaked up the pressure.

However, they were handed a let-off in first-half stoppage time when Nygaard's header from Cook's free-kick flew over the bar.

That was the last meaningful action of the first 45 minutes as the visitors went into the break a goal to the good.

Alan Maybury replaced James Wesolowski for the start of the second half with Richard Stearman moving into the centre alongside Tiatto.

Martin Rowlands fired his free-kick high over the bar on 46 minutes then Blackstock lobbed his effort over Logan but the ball dropped the wrong side of the woodwork.

City were handed a huge let-off on 52 minutes when Rowlands' follow-up effort from a Cook free-kick ricocheted back off the post and away to safety.

Kevin Gallen replaced Nygaard in the 57th minute before Hammond almost latched on to Hume's flick but the assistant referee had already raised his flag for offside.

Logan got down well to save Mancienne's shot from 18-yards out just after the hour.

However, the hosts drew level in the 68th minute through Rowlands' penalty.

Blackstock's goalbound effort was handled on the line by McAuley and as a result the referee had no alternative but to award Rangers a penalty and dismiss the defender.
Rowlands stepped up and sent Logan the wrong way for the equaliser.

Before the re-start, club captain Paddy McCarthy, complete with face-mask to protect his broken nose and damaged eye-socket, came on for Hammond as City were forced to reshuffle their pack.

Both sides then made another change on 75 minutes with Matty Fryatt, back after injury, replacing Welsh and Gareth Ainsworth coming on for goalscorer Rowlands.

Blackstock shot wide 10 minutes from time before the visitors should have restored their advantage in the dying moments.

Hume's long range effort was only parried into the path of Fryatt by Royce but the ball would not sit down for the striker and he could only place it into the arms of the keeper much to his own disappointment.

Smith was booked for a foul on Stearman on 88 minutes then Hume followed suit for dissent soon after.

After five minutes of stoppage time, the referee finally blew his whistle to call a halt to proceedings with the two teams finishing level at 1-1.
Leicester