'That’s dangerous’. ‘Doesn’t look good' - Sky Sports pundits in agreement as QPR striker escapes punishment for key incident against Preston North End

‘I think that’s dangerous’. ‘It doesn’t look good’ - just two of the phrases the Sky Sports pundits used to describe Lyndon Dykes’ aerial challenge on Andrew Hughes during Friday night’s Preston North End v QPR game at Deepdale.

The Scotland international forward caught the Lilywhites defender square on the face with his forearm in the 22nd-minute, giving Hughes a bloodied nose and lip.

His punishment was a yellow card from match official Josh Smith -  a decision that came when the game remained scoreless. However, after the final whistle and with the Londoners running out 2-0 winners, there was belief within the Sky Sports studio that the R’s striker got away with one.

Commenting on the incident, former Preston favourite David Nugent believed Dykes should have been in trouble for the first-half incident. He said: ‘I think there is (something in it). You can see that his hand might be open but his elbow leans towards Hughesie’s nose there towards the end of it (the footage). You can see his elbow stick out.

‘I think that’s dangerous. It’s potentially a red card. Obviously, there’s no VAR in the Championship but if that’s at a higher level and it’s seen on TV then I think he’s in trouble.’

Fellow pundit Clinton Morrison claimed there was no need for Dykes for land the way he did, with an arm in Hughes’ face. He wanted to give the 28-year-old front man the benefit of the doubt. But the former Crystal Palace and Republic of Ireland forward didn’t like Dyke’s action. 

He said: ‘You do need your arms (to jump) and me a Nuge as centre-forwards know that. But when I’m going to jump  like that, I don’t need to lean it down onto Hughes - and that’s what it looks like. It looks terrible like that. 

‘Only Lyndon Dykes will know if he’s done it (deliberately). The referee’s in a good position, We have the TV replay angles, and it looks like he’s done it deliberately. I don’t think he has deliberately, Lyndon Dykes, but it doesn’t look good.’