QPR keep their mini run going with useful point at Bristol City

Bristol City (0) 1 Twine 60

QPR (0) 1 Smyth 65

The R's extended their unbeaten run to six games as they continue their progress away from the danger zone.

It was not so long ago that we were talking about a baffling 13-game run without a win and wondering where it had all gone wrong for Mari Cifuentes after last season's green shoots of recovery.

But a return of seven points this week has cemented the belief that the tide has properly turned.

If there is one awayday the R's have particularly enjoyed in recent years, it's the ones to Ashton Gate.

With four wins in a row in the West Country, this looked an ideal place to extend the heartening recent run.

Energy levels were being conserved at the outset by Cifuentes' men - the boss' measured response to playing a third game in a week. They were happy to sit deep, absorb pressure and wait.

There was only one change from the side that beat Oxford 2-0 in midweek - Lucas Andersen in for Nicolas Madsen.

City's two changes from their last game up at Sunderland - a 1-1 draw - included former QPR man Nahki Wells coming for another former Hoops man in Sinclair Armstrong, who has picked up an injury. The home ranks also included Rob Dickie, another of the old Loftus Road brigade.

Rangers came close to shipping an early goal when Bristol City winger Anis Mehmeti's shot from outside the box clipped the base of Paul Nardi's left hand post, but otherwise looked comfortable in their holding pattern.

The lunchtime kick-off probably helped the cause, as it had a predictably anaesthetising effect on the home support.

At the interval, Alfie Lloyd replaced Rayan Kolli and the plan seemed to be working, even if it came close to being undone soon after the restart when Harrison Ashby's stray header back towards Nardi was almost headed in by a poaching Wells. It flew wide, to the relief of the decent contingent of away fans down the other end of the stadium.

The narrative took a turn when a needless free-kick conceded 25 yards out by Sam Field was punished to the maximum by Scott Twine, who came on just in time to take the kick. Moments later and it was almost two when Mehmeti escaped into the inside right channel and fired into the chest of Nardi.

As it happens, parity was quickly restored when City frittered away the initiative - pressing too high at a corner and allowing Paul Smyth to score from distance after a suicidal dash up to the halfway line from keeper Max O'Leary in a foolhardy bit to cut off the winger.

Smyth - who had been found by Jonathan Varane's clearance - celebrated his angled shot from fully 40 yards into an empty net by performing an acrobatic vault in front of the Rangers fans.

City had the better of it after that, but still hopes of another win for Rangers did not entirely vanish, with Ilias Chair coming on the help the cause, Steve Cook getting forward late on to test O'Leary and Lloyd rippling the side netting.

Not quite a repeat of all those successes down the M4 then, but a decent enough result none the less.

Robins:(4-2-3-1) O'Leary - Vyner, Dickie, McNally, Pring - Bird, Knight - Hirakawa (Twine 59), Earthy (Bell 77), Mehmeti - Wells (Mayulu 77)

Rangers: (4-2-3-1) Nardi - Dunne, Cook, Morrison, Ashby (Paal 80) - Varane, Field - Smyth (Bennie 88), Andersen (Madsen 74), Saito (Chair 74) - Kolli (Lloyd h/t)