Alex Dicken rates the Birmingham City players after their 2-1 defeat to Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road
Jimmy Dunne of Queens Park Rangers holds off Marvin Ducksch of Birmingham City
A 96th minute strike from Queens Park Rangers substitute Kieran Morgan inflicted another defeat on Birmingham City away from home.
Blues were heading for a point after Patrick Roberts cancelled out Jimmy Dunne’s header in the third minute of stoppage time but QPR had the last laugh.
After three away games in which they conceded inside 17 minutes, the brief for Blues was to keep things tight in the opening exchanges at Loftus Road.
It wasn’t until the half-hour mark that QPR seriously threatened James Beadle’s goal. Paul Smyth got on the end of Koki Saito’s header back across goal but he could only nod the ball into Beadle’s hands.
In-form Hoops striker Rumarn Burrell would have worked Beadle had the returning Jack Robinson – deputising for the injured Alex Cochrane at left-back – not thrown himself in the way of a powerful shot.
Blues have developed the bad habit of conceding first away from home and they rarely keep their clean sheet until half-time.
QPR became the 10th team in 11 Championship away games to take the lead against Blues when Dunne headed Koki Saito’s wicked cross past Beadle in the 40th minute.
Jimmy Dunne of QPR scores against Birmingham City
A double substitution at half-time showed everyone inside Loftus Road exactly what he thought of his team’s first half performance. Tommy Doyle and Kyogo Furuhashi replaced Bright Osayi-Samuel and Marvin Ducksch.
The changes made very little difference to the flow of the game and QPR pushed forward for second.
Blues dallied on the ball at the back and Doyle played it straight to Smyth who crossed to the far post for Richard Kone to nudge wide from close range. Kone should have put the game beyond Blues.
Davies introduced Eiran Cashin, Lyndon Dykes and Keshi Anderson to try and turn the game around but Blues didn’t turn up until stoppage time.
Roberts arrived at the far post to slot in Demarai Gray’s centre to set up a draw Blues scarcely deserved.
QPR weren’t deflated by Roberts’ equaliser and pushed forward in search of a winner.
There didn’t appear to be much danger when Morgan picked the ball up on the right of the penalty area but his low shot was too powerful for Beadle and nestled in the corner.
A seventh defeat in 11 away from St Andrew’s doesn’t make for good reading for Blues. They have now put enormous pressure on their home fixtures in the festive period.
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James Beadle 5
Beadle showed nerves when coming to collect some crosses and dropped one in the first half. The goalkeeper must look at himself for Morgan’s winner. He wasn’t his usual, composed self in possession either.
Bright Osayi-Samuel 5
The right-back was awarded a rare start against his former club but he was hooked at half-time so draw your own conclusions. Osayi-Samuel just hasn’t got to grips with the demands Davies places upon his right-back.
Phil Neumann 5
Some of Neumann’s distribution left a lot to be desired. The centre-back almost stumbled into one pass to carelessly give away possession when Blues were in a useful position in the second half. Neumann was beaten by Dunne for the goal too.
Koki Saito of Queens Park Rangers battles for possession with Phil Neumann of Birmingham City
Christoph Klarer 6
Even Blues’ imperious captain looked flustered on a night where very little went right for Blues. Klarer won his fair share of headers but, unfortunately, Saito’s cross for Dunne’s header took him out of the game.
Jack Robinson 5.5
Robinson’s inclusion at left-back wasn’t ideal but the 32-year-old didn’t do much wrong defensively. He didn’t stop many crosses, it must be said, and he did miss a great chance to play Gray in at the start of the second half.
Tomoki Iwata 5
Iwata played in three different positions and you couldn’t fault his work ethic, but his form has tailed off in recent matches and you wonder whether he might need a rest. Davies can’t give him one so Iwata will have to play his way back into form.
Paik Seung-ho 5
Paik was again too passive away from home, refusing to drive with the ball through the thirds, and QPR crept in behind him too many times.
Patrick Roberts 6
Roberts had good moments on the right and delivered a couple of dangerous crosses before notching the equaliser.
Jay Stansfield 5
Stansfield isn’t immune from criticism and didn’t force his way into the game. The forward needs to improve on his solitary goal contribution – a penalty at Blackburn – away from home.
Demarai Gray 6
Once more Gray looked as dangerous as anyone wearing Royal Blue. The winger fired across a dangerous cross in the first half that Ducksch didn’t gamble on. Roberts did in stoppage time and scored.
Marvin Ducksch 4
Ducksch didn’t last more than 45 minutes of his latest ineffective outing away from home. When Blues aren’t at their free-flowing best, supporters want to see a striker challenging for aerial balls and putting himself about, but Ducksch didn’t make QPR’s defenders sweat.
SUBS
Tommy Doyle (for Osayi-Samuel, 46) 6
Doyle played one terrible pass that should have seen Blues punished by Kone but he tried things and almost scored a corner in stoppage time.
Kyogo Furuhashi (for Ducksch, 46) 6
Kyogo didn’t offer much of a threat but he put himself about and pressed better than Ducksch did.
Eiran Cashin (for Robinson, 68) 6
Cashin is a last resort at left-back but he didn’t look overly uncomfortable there.
Lyndon Dykes (for Stansfield, 68) 6
Dykes gave Blues a physical presence in the closing stages and put QPR’s defenders under pressure.
Keshi Anderson (for Neumann, 82) N/A
Not used: Allsop, Sampsted, Leonard, Koumas
Attendance: 14,947 (1,760)
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