QPR denied place in Championship top six after goalless draw with Oxford

Queens Park Rangers were held to a goalless draw by Oxford at Loftus Road as they missed the chance to move into the Championship’s top-six.

The hosts are now unbeaten in five league matches since being hammered 7-1 away by Coventry on August 23, during which time three wins and a draw had hoisted Julien Stephan’s side into the top half of the table ahead of kick-off.

With just three points separating second from 12th ahead of the match, there was every reason for optimism that an extension of that run could lay the foundations of a play-off push, but if they had hoped for an easy ride against Gary Rowett’s struggling visitors they were given a far sterner test.

Oxford have won just once all season in the league, a 3-1 victory away against Bristol Rovers in September, and they arrived in west London second from bottom and with a defensive outlook.

Indeed it took until the 34th minute for either side to manage a shot on target. It came from the home side, Michael Frey driving the ball from 25 yards towards the near post where it was gathered and well held by goalkeeper Jamie Cumming.

Kader Dembele then burst into the penalty area down the right and flashed the ball across goal. No one in hoops had gambled on a dart into the six-yard box however and the ball zipped wide.

Steve Cook came as close anybody had managed in the opening 45 minutes when he lashed an ambitious strike narrowly over the crossbar just before half-time.

Richard Kone misjudged a header at the start of the second half, getting too much on the ball when all that was needed was a glancing touch. From a promising position six yards out, the ball drifted wide.

Oxford had been largely limited to hopeful attempts on goal from long range, as when Przemyslaw Placheta thumped one high and wide from 30 yards as the game entered its final 20 minutes.

Substitute Rumarn Burrell then came within a foot of winning it for the home side four minutes from the end, arriving at the near post to meet Kone’s low cross but just failing to angle his first-time effort inside the post.

There was a physical altercation in stoppage time when Rowett clashed with Rhys Norrington-Davies on the touchline after the United boss held up a QPR throw-in as they sought a late winner.

At the end of an uneventful 90 minutes, it brought the loudest cheer of the night from visiting supporters.