QPR 2-2 Preston North End: 10-man hosts comeback from two down to deny PNE

Preston North End lost a two-goal lead and had to settle for a draw in West London as their game against 10-man QPR ended 2-2.

Johnny Kenny gave PNE the lead inside 30 seconds after a terrific solo break. The hosts went down to 10 men with a quarter of an hour played following a reckless challenge from Dennis Cirkin on Léo Leroy. Kenny made it two for him and his team on 26 minutes after seizing on a loose ball and unleashing a fine effort from inside the area. Kwame Poku halved the deficit midway through the second half. Paul Smyth equalised in the last minute of normal time.

North End were ahead in a matter of seconds. Stanley Mills cleared well from a quick QPR attack and into the path of Kenny who paced down the middle of the pitch, shrugged off Jimmy Dunne, opened his body up and struck calmly past Pierce Charles in the R’s net.

Cirkin had a go from just inside the box on 11 minutes but it took a deflection and went behind for a corner, from which Jonathan Varane fired over. The QPR left-back was shown a straight red by referee Thomas Parsons for a dangerous foul on Leroy. He protested his innocence, but replays show the challenge was poorly timed.

PNE doubled their advantage on the 26th minute and it was Kenny once again. After some great work by Mills to try and force an opening, the QPR let the ball loose in their box; Kenny turned and fired powerfully towards goal, with the ball nestling in the bottom corner again.

A Jimmy Dunne header from a free kick routine forced Daniel Iversen into a simple stop before Poku almost halved the deficit after a golden cross from the left, but he couldn’t connect with the ball.

Mills set up another great chance with a minute of regular time in the first half remaining, gliding past defenders to thread a ball through to Callum Lang, but an ultimately weak effort was blocked by Ronnie Edwards.

PNE held firm during an intense spell of QPR pressure in the opening 15 minutes of the second half. While Kenny had three efforts in that period that were either blocked or off-target, the R’s bombed forward as they looked to get a goal back, with substitute Kaki Saito coming closest to breaking PNE down, but he wandered into an offside position as he fired towards Iversen’s goal. Poku, Ronnie Edwards and Amadou Mbengue all saw efforts go high and/or wide before the hour mark.

North End eventually broke free from their half of the pitch but only temporarily. On 66 minutes, Poku angled an effort 20 yards from goal and it found the near bottom corner.

Lang’s header from an Andy Vukcevic header crashed against the woodwork before the hosts continued to pepper North End’s goal with efforts. Nicolas Madsen saw an effort from six yards get charged down before Poku fired wide from a tight angle.

Vukcevic saw a headed effort at close range beaten away by Pierce Charles in a rare pause from a QPR onslaught. Saito and Dunne once again had efforts blocked as PNE men put their bodies on the line. Alfie Lloyd hit the bar for the R’s in what was their 25th attempt.

Madsen forced a tremendous save from Iversen after a fierce effort from distance but the Dane couldn’t keep the ball out of the net when Paul Smyth took a shot on in a crowded box from 10 yards out.

Iversen made another superb stop in the final moments to deny Madsen from giving QPR all three points from a free kick.

Preston North End: Iversen, Clarke, Storey, Hughes, Mills (Offiah 89’), Vukcevic (Valentin 89’), Thompson (C), Leroy (Gibbs 68’), Devine, Lang, Kenny (Erabi 68’). Unused subs: Nicholls, Lindsay, Small, Moran, Burgzorg.