Coventry City player ratings vs QPR as Dykes and Barbet score
Coventry City suffered their first defeat in two weeks when they lost 2-0 to Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.
Second-half goals from Lyndon Dykes and Yoann Barbet put City to the sword and ended their hopes of going into the international break on a three-match unbeaten run.
Dykes, on as a substitute, scored QPR's opener from distance with 22 minutes to play and a shellshocked City went two goals behind eight minutes later when Barbet blasted home past Simon Moore from inside the penalty area.
City will rue their performance defensively on a day that they conceded more than once for the first time in the League this season.
City boss Mark Robins made one change to the side that beat Reading last time out.
Chelsea loanee Jake Clarke-Salter replaced Julien Dacosta, with Fankaty Dabo moving to right wing-back.
It was a surprise to see there was no place in the starting lineup for Jamie Allen, who came off the substitute's bench and scored the first of City's two goals against Reading.
Viktor Gyokeres signalled City's intent after just 30 seconds when he blasted a shot at Jordy De Wijs which was blocked out for a corner.
Hoops goalkeeper Seny Dieng was tested for the first time after six minutes when Ian Maatsen finished off a sweeping City counter-attack with a shot at the hosts' near-post.
His effort was easily covered by Dieng but three shots inside the opening seven minutes made for an encouraging start.
City broke again after eight minutes and saw two shots blocked by desperate Hoops players.
Martyn Waghorn and Gustavo Hamer both had a go on Dieng's goal and the stopper was tested again soon after in an action-packed opening ten.
Once the game had settled down there were limited openings for either team but Gyokeres did go close after 23 minutes when he and Callum O'Hare exchanged passes into the QPR penalty area.
Gyokeres was denied a chance on goal by Rob Dickie, QPR's superb centre-back.
The Hoops would have had a great chance to open the scoring but for the returning Clarke-Salter, who was alert to the danger in front and behind him when he denied a through ball that would have made its way to Chris Willock.
In the 27th minute Hamer went close when his shot from 20 yards was palmed over the bar by Dieng.
Moments earlier Ian Maatsen had held off Ilias Chair inside the box to deny QPR an opportunity, the left-back showing good strength and positional awareness.
On the half-hour mark Waghorn spotted Dieng off his line and after some good work from Gyokeres to hold the ball up and lay it off, the former Derby County man went for glory.
However, his effort from just inside QPR's half was well off
QPR went closest to opening the scoring after 32 minutes when Moore saved a free-kick from Chair.
The Moroccan curled an effort toward Moore's top right-hand corner and the goalkeeper was alert to palm it onto the bar.
Stefan Johansen became the first player to be cautioned when he brought down Hamer on the edge of QPR's half after he mis-controlled the ball.
Hamer would have broken away and led a City counter and there was certainly an argument for a red card given the nature of the tackle and that Johansen's contact with the City player was high up his leg.
City almost broke the deadlock in the 38th minute when Hamer's corner was headed wide by Kyle McFadzean at the back post.
And Waghorn was almost tee'd up at the back post by Callum O'Hare in the last action of the first-half.
He would have the first sight of goal in the second 45 as well, with Dieng called into action once more to palm away for a corner.
From both sides there was an absence of any quality in their end product and Robins had seen enough from his strike partnership of Waghorn and Gyokeres on the hour mark when he brought on Tyler Walker and Matty Godden, last week's injury-time hero.
QPR boss Mark Warburton brought on Dykes with 20 minutes left as he went in search of an opener and it paid off.
Dykes picked up a loose ball from about 20 yards out and took a touch before lashing an effort past Moore into his bottom left-hand corner.
City failed to clear their lines from a corner and paid the price.
Robins' men wanted to hit back straight away and Dabo found himself with space down the right-hand side and found Godden.
The cross was behind Godden, though, who couldn't get his feet sorted in time to get a shot away.
QPR doubled their lead on the 76th minute and it was another goal the hosts would not have to work hard for.
City failed to clear their lines again and Moore's save from a shot from distance was turned home from inside the penalty area at the second attempt from Barbet.
Alas, there was to be no repeat of last weekend's scenes against Reading and City go into the international breaking stewing on a poor defeat.
Matty Godden and Tyler Walker were brought on on the hourk mark but they struggled to make an impact, with City unable to make the ball stick.
Posted: Sat Aug 28, 2021 5:10 pm
