QPR miss out on second place with Norwich tied

QPR missed the chance to move up to second in the Championship when they drew with Norwich at Carrow Road.

Hoops top scorer Chris Willock thundered a shot from close range against the foot of the same post moments after coming on before Angus Gunn saved at full stretch to keep out Lyndon Dyke’s goalless header.

Dieng then came out to block Onel Hernandez’s effort from close range before Grant Hanley hit the post with the last kick of the game.

Both sides created enough clear-cut chances to win a high-quality encounter, but a draw was perhaps the fair result, keeping the Hoops in fourth place, two points behind second-placed Blackburn, while Norwich remain fifth, two points further back.

Dieng was QPR’s savior as Norwich made a blistering start, first diving low to palm away Gabriel Sara’s first-time shot, then moments later he tipped Pukki’s hard drive over the bar after a good pullback from Aaron Ramsey.

At the other end, Ilias Chair’s close-range shot from an acute angle forced City goalkeeper Angus Gunn into a smart save.

After Norwich’s flurry of chances, the visitors began to press the hosts back and almost took the lead before the break when Tim Iroegbunam drove into the box and fired a low shot which Gunn turned around the post.

QPR boss Michael Beale brought on Willock – after five games out with a hamstring injury – shortly after half-time and only the post denied him an immediate impact after a thrilling run.

Norwich’s pressure grew as the game wore on, but through a combination of well-organised defending, good goalkeeping and woodwork, the game somehow remained goalless.

Norwich boss Dean Smith told BBC Radio Norfolk:

“All you can do to win a game is try to create big chances and not give away big chances and I thought we did that today. Another day we make those chances.

“In terms of creating chances that was up there with some of the best we’ve created this season, but you have to take them. I think if we had taken one of those, it would have opened QPR up a bit neighbor.

“They protect the middle of the pitch as we knew so we used the outside and I thought for 25 minutes we did really well when we used it. I thought we got a bit frustrated then and forced a few things.

“For 10 minutes before half-time and the middle of the second half I felt we lost a bit, but for me it was a much better performance against a good team.”

QPR boss Michael Beale told BBC London 94.9:

“I think it was a good point, for us it was a massive one after Friday night. Away to Birmingham and away to Norwich, the fixture list wasn’t exactly kind to us, but we’ve come here tonight and put in a completely different display without three or four really important players.

“We hit the post and had a great chance from the same attack to score, but the most important thing is if you can’t win, take something from the game and I was happy.

“They played in the areas we wanted them to play which was off us, never through us to their number 10. We needed to show a bit more aggression and a bit more belief in the duels and I thought we did in the second half.”