Queens Park Rangers vs Swansea City. Sky Bet Championship.
Loftus Road StadiumAttendance13,367.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between QPR and Swansea at Loftus Road as Lyndon Dykes scored in stoppage-time to deny Michael Duff a first Swans win on Tuesday night.
Wednesday 20 September 2023 09:56, UK
Lyndon Dykes' stoppage-time goal rescued a point for QPR in a 1-1 draw with Swansea at Loftus Road.
Josh Ginnelly's early goal looked like giving the Welsh side a first Sky Bet Championship win under boss Michael Duff.
But Scotland forward Dykes, on as a substitute, equalised by getting in front of defender Ben Cabango to head home Ilias Chair's left-wing cross.
Swansea ended the match with 10 men after Ollie Cooper was sent off in the final seconds after a foul on Dykes earned him a second yellow card.
Dykes' goal spared Rangers a fourth defeat of the season at home, where they have won just once since last October.
Summer signing Ginnelly, making his first league start for Swansea, netted after seven minutes.
He was helped by a mistake by goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, who failed to hold Jamal Lowe's low cross from the right and the ball ricocheted off Ginnelly and into the net despite defender Osman Kakay's attempt to prevent it crossing the line.
Swansea, beaten in their previous four matches and having lost four of their previous five in the league, defended well and always looked a threat on the counter-attack.
Rangers struggled to create clear-cut openings but striker Sinclair Armstrong missed a great chance to equalise midway through the first half.
An unchallenged Armstrong collected Andre Dozzell's pass and, seemingly believing he was offside, turned and scooped a shot woefully high and wide before discovering he was being played onside by Swansea's on-loan Chelsea youngster Bashir Humphreys.
Rangers made a determined start to the second half and the lively Paul Smyth did well on the right and crossed for Chair, who headed wide.
Dykes, fit again after a recent knee injury, was sent on by R's boss Gareth Ainsworth on the hour as the hosts continued to search for an equaliser.
Swansea might have added a second had Jerry Yates connected properly with a scuffed shot which was easily gathered by Begovic.
Swans midfielder Matt Grimes fired wide as the visitors again looked to hit Rangers with a sucker punch, and at the other end Chair missed the target with a similarly wayward effort from long range.
In the closing stages, Dykes poked a shot wide from near the edge of the penalty area and Chair saw a low strike deflected wide, but Ainsworth's team were eventually rewarded for their persistence.
QPR's Gareth Ainsworth:
"No, I'm not happy. The Swansea goal is handball. The referee missed it and the assessor has said they couldn't see it without VAR - but his hand's out.
"The rub of the green's going against us at the moment. We deserved more from that game.
"I will add, though, that we must hit the target more. We must work the opposition keeper more. We're creating chances and we need to take them.
"Lyndon's header was that moment of brilliance in a game where we should really score more goals.
"We've got to be better at getting on the end of things. But we are creating chances and that's a good thing."
Swansea's Michael Duff:
"It's frustrating for the players and for me but there were positive signs.
"In the first half-an-hour we were good and that's how I want it to look. We need to build a foundation.
"I know it sounds silly, but the stats will tell you that teams are not playing through us and we're creating chances. You have to start with that.
"We've had a couple of false dawns, but today we showed spirit and character and the shape was good.
"I've said to the players that if we can guarantee that shape, togetherness and spirit then we've got the foundations. It's about sticking to the process."
