QPR 1-1 Derby County: QPR hit back to draw with Derby (original) (raw)
Geoff Cameron's first goal for QPR earned the hosts a point and stopped Derby County moving into the Championship play-off places.
Cameron scored from 10 yards from a Nahki Wells cross after Rams keeper Scott Carson had saved Luke Freeman's free-kick.
The Rams led slightly against the run of play at the interval, Jack Marriott marking his first Championship start by firing the ball home after a defensive mix-up following Bradley Johnson's long ball.
But Rangers responded impressively to rescue a draw, Wells hitting the bar before Cameron's leveller - just QPR's ninth goal in 12 league matches this season.
Rangers were unfortunate to trail at the interval, having created the better chances.
Massimo Luongo and Jake Bidwell were both off target with decent opportunities before Marriott's opener for the visitors.
A powerful Tom Lawrence free-kick then tested Rs keeper Joe Lumley, but the hosts continued to look the sharper.
The lively Wells had a header easily saved and then smashed a fine shot against the bar from the left side of the penalty area.
After Cameron's neat leveller early in the second half, both sides could have earned the win late on.
But Toni Leistner, the matchwinner for QPR against Reading in midweek, blasted a shot over, while Rams substitute Harry Wilson forced Lumley into a smart save.
Derby, who have now lost just two of their past 15 away games at Loftus Road, are seventh while QPR slip to 18th in the table, five points above the relegation zone.
QPR boss Steve McClaren:
"I think we're both cheesed off with the ref and quite a few decisions. We didn't hold back, they didn't hold back. It was a tough game to referee.
"He could have made some other decisions but I thought it was difficult to handle a Championship game with that tempo and with that intensity from two committed teams.
"There were two teams who went for it - really went for it. Either team could have ended up winning it. A draw was probably a fair result.
"I'm proud of the players in terms of contributing to what was a pulsating, high-tempo game of football."
Derby manager Frank Lampard told BBC Radio Derby:
"We deserved to win the game through our play and through everything that we did.
"I'm proud of the players, but unfortunately - and this is a fact - we haven't won because of a refereeing decision.
"It absolutely wasn't a foul by Fikayo Tomori. The referee gives a foul and they score from the free-kick."
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