Plymouth Argyle vs Queens Park Rangers. Sky Bet Championship.
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Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Plymouth Argyle and Queens Park Rangers at Home Park on Tuesday night | An Albert Adomah own goal earns a vital point for Pilgrims in their battle to beat the drop.
Tuesday 9 April 2024 23:07, UK
Managerless Plymouth claimed a much-needed 85th-minute leveller to earn a late 1-1 Championship draw at home to relegation-rivals QPR.
Following a goalmouth scramble in which Plymouth goalkeeper Michael Cooper twice brilliantly saved on his line, Sam Field hammered the ball home from close range after 73 minutes to give the visitors the lead.
But Albert Adomah put into his own net with five minutes remaining as Argyle claimed a share of the spoils.
Ilias Chair fired over from 20 yards out as the ball fell to him from QPR's first corner of the game.
Adam Randall won and took a 13th-minute free-kick for the hosts which flew over from 20 yards out.
Top scorer Morgan Whittaker went the closest with his 25-yard shot on the run which went just wide of Asmir Bergovic's goal in the 15th minute.
It was the closest either side went in a tentative getting-to-know-you start from both teams.
Callum Wright helped continue a flowing move with a cheeky acrobatic back heel which resulted in a shooting opportunity for the attacking midfielder just outside the QPR penalty area.
Wright's thumping 26th-minute shot from 20 yards flew just over the crossbar, while Chair continued to be a thorn in Argyle's side and when he cut inside from the left - three minutes later - his low goal-bound shot had to be blocked by a defender.
Minutes later Lucas Andersen beat two defenders as he cut inside from the right and let fly with a low angled drive that flew just wide of the diving Cooper's far post.
Paul Smyth went even closer in the 36th minute, latching onto a Chair cross from the left at the far post. Smyth controlled the ball well and his first-time shot on the half volley rocketed into the side netting.
Ryan Hardie's shot from centre of the penalty area eight minutes before the break was comfortably saved by Begovic.
A slip on the ball by Anthony Phillips allowed Chair a run-on goal from the halfway. The Morocco international homed in on goal before firing just wide from the edge of the box.
Cooper made a brilliant 56th-minute save to deny Smyth as he looked certain to score after being teed up inside the box by Lydon Dykes. Somehow the Argyle number one kept out Smyth's measured shot.
A minute later, Begovic was forced to save low at the foot of his post to keep out a Bali Mumba shot.
Central defender Lewis Gibson looked set to score when a corner, flicked on, landed at his feet at the far post but his shot across goal curled away from the target and sailed inches wide.
Plymouth defender Dan Scarr did brilliantly to head off the goal line in the 68th minute as QPR upped the pressure and Smyth's cross looked to be heading in.
Field finally broke the deadlock from close range after 73 minutes to give QPR the lead.
Begovic made a brilliant stop to deny Mumba - as Argyle piled on the pressure - but Adomah appeared to score an own goal, under pressure from substitute striker Mustapha Bundu, at the far post as QPR failed to clear the 85th-minute corner.
Plymouth's Neil Dewsnip:
"When QPR scored, the team had to show incredible resilience. 'Never say die' is a part of the culture here. The team were superb and the fans fantastic.
"We see it as a point gained at home not an opportunity missed as that's now four points in two games.
"It means momentum is changing and we go again on Friday. I like to look forward so hopefully we will score more than one on Friday.
"We will look forward rather than backwards. I see the point as a positive point, we are going the right direction again.
"Michael (Cooper) has been injured but he is getting sharper game by game and made some superb saves again tonight, as he did at Rotherham.
"All the players were superb tonight. Michael had a fantastic game, Adam Randell did, Dan Scarr, Lewis Gibson but I could go on and on and name every one of them because I thought they all played their part in a tremendous performance.
"Friday night against Leicester is huge. The players will recover now and then we all go again on Friday."
QPR's Marti Cifuentes:
"That's always going to be the target at 1-0. We not only created chances to win the game but enough to close the game out.
"I have mentioned this not once, not twice that unfortunately, it's something we have experienced many times this season.
"And then you know if the opposition get a half-chance in this type of situation they will score and that's exactly what happened.
"For us today it was important for us to react in a strong way after losing and I am delighted to say that's what we did.
"After we scored we kept pushing hard for a second and I know if we carry on playing this way we are going to win football matches.
"I don't usually look at the table. Tonight it was about the last five games.
"Now we have four games left and I want to win all of them. We need to keep on pushing, we need more points.
"Our focus is on the next game and we know that Hull will be difficult because they are chasing the play-offs but there are no easy games in this division.
"We have to make sure that collectively we recover from this one and be well prepared to go again."
