Second-half goal from Djibril Cisse gave QPR a 1-1 draw with Reading at Loftus Road
Last Updated: November 5, 2012 4:35pm
Djibril Cisse: Celebrates his equaliser
Both QPR and Reading are still waiting for their first Premier League wins of the season after a tight and tense encounter finished 1-1 at Loftus Road.
Kaspars Gorkss had hooked Reading ahead early on before Djibril Cisse stabbed home a second-half equaliser for Rangers and Adel Taarabt passed up a great chance to win it late on.
Best of the Match
- Man of the Match: Close one, but Alex McCarthy was superb in the Reading goal with some quality stops. Jay Tabb was also very good.
- Goal of the Match: Both goals were good finishes, but volley from Kaspars Gorkss was excellent from a defender.
- Save of the Match: Outstanding from McCarthy, his best effort - one of the best anywhere this season - came late in first-half when he managed to tip Esteban Granero's free-kick onto the bar.
- Talking point: What now for both clubs, where are their first wins coming from?
Noel Hunt should have done better than screw a shot across the face of goal having been teed up by Jay Tabb as the visitors made an enterprising start.
Cisse had QPR's first shot in anger when he fired wide from 20 yards but it was Reading, with Jobi McAnuff a constant menace, who continued to force the pace.
Taarabt then teed up Junior Hoilett, who could not find the target with his left foot from 22 yards, before the breakthrough that Reading had threatened duly arrived.
First debutant Sean Morrison struck the crossbar with a free header and Gorkss (16) latched onto the rebound and hooked the ball home from six yards.
Samba Diakite then set up Cisse who missed his kick 14 yards from goal to sum up the growing frustration in the home ranks.
Taarabt blazed over while Nicky Shorey's free-kick was too high, but it needed a wonder save from Alex McCarthy to keep the scores level as he tipped Esteban Granero's free-kick onto the crossbar at full stretch.
Mikele Leigertwood planted a free header over the top for the Royals before Rangers finally managed to build up a head of steam.
The equaliser came when Cisse (66) latched onto a Jose Bosingwa cross and stabbed the ball past McCarthy from six yards out.
Reading substitute Jimmy Kebe blazed over after a surging run as the game opened up before Taarabt passed up a glorious opportunity to win it, failing to beat McCarthy from 10 yards having been teed up by Cisse.
Bobby Zamora was then inches away from connecting with Cisse's cross in added time and the latter blazed narrowly wide from distance in a frantic finale.
The result did little to help either team, with Rangers remaining five points from safety - although they did climb off the bottom for 24 hours at least - and Reading only a point ahead.
| Queens Park Rangers | Team Statistics | Reading |
| 1 | Goals | 1 |
| 0 | 1st Half Goals | 1 |
| 6 | Shots on Target | 3 |
| 12 | Shots off Target | 12 |
| 5 | Blocked Shots | 5 |
| 8 | Corners | 8 |
| 11 | Fouls | 17 |
| 3 | Offsides | 4 |
| 0 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 75.2 | Passing Success | 66.8 |
| 26 | Tackles | 15 |
| 88.5 | Tackles Success | 86.7 |
| 56.2 | Possession | 43.8 |
| 47.3 | Territorial Advantage | 52.7 |
| 359 | Total Passes | 280 |
| 32 | Total Crosses | 27 |
| 171 | Lost Balls | 182 |
| 44 | Recoveries | 58 |
| 56.2 | 1st Half Poss. | 43.8 |
| 56.2 | 2nd Half Poss. | 43.8 |
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Matches
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Barclays Premier League
Table
Barclays Premier League
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 38 | 89 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 38 | 78 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 38 | 75 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 38 | 73 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 72 |
| 6 | Everton | 38 | 63 |
| 7 | Liverpool | 38 | 61 |
| 8 | West Bromwich Albion | 38 | 49 |
| 9 | Swansea City | 38 | 46 |
| 10 | West Ham United | 38 | 46 |
| 11 | Norwich City | 38 | 44 |
| 12 | Fulham | 38 | 43 |
| 13 | Stoke City | 38 | 42 |
| 14 | Southampton | 38 | 41 |
| 15 | Aston Villa | 38 | 41 |
| 16 | Newcastle United | 38 | 41 |
| 17 | Sunderland | 38 | 39 |
| 18 | Wigan Athletic | 38 | 36 |
| 19 | Reading | 38 | 28 |
| 20 | Queens Park Rangers | 38 | 25 |
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