Oxford United and Queens Park Rangers (QPR) played out a thrilling goalless draw in Saturday’s evenly matched contest at the Kassam Stadium. That physical match finished 0-0. What a freakin’ game. The first half saw both teams play scintillating defense. Unfortunately, neither was able to find the back of the net, meaning they both received only one point apiece. The match showcased the intensity of the competition, particularly with only three points separating second from twelfth place in the league standings prior to kickoff.
Both teams started the match brightly, and each team wanted to take advantage of either a miscue or set piece. Oxford’s Steve Cook came close to breaking the deadlock in the first half with two efforts that both missed the goal. Meanwhile, QPR’s Michael Frey tested Oxford’s defense with a well-struck shot from 25 yards that was expertly gathered by goalkeeper Jamie Cumming.
Missed Opportunities
The second half continued with Kone badly misjudging a header which might have turned the tide in the home side’s favour. Kone sprinted in to try and get a foot to the ball, desperate for the glory. Instead he went for the full horse-gate bash when a gentle glance would have sufficed. This near miss came to symbolize the frustrations for Oxford, who couldn’t seem to find a finish and weren’t able to turn their chances into concrete output.
As the game went on, hope and anticipation mounted on the home sidelines. Only four minutes from the final whistle, Rumarn Burrell almost snatched a win, going inches away from finding the net after Kader Dembele made a terrific run into the box. Dembele then twice flashed the ball across the face of the goal, but Burrell’s finishing proved wayward on both occasions.
“Happy with the clean sheet. Not super happy with our attacking moments but away from home on a tight pitch it’s always a competitive game here. It’s a difficult place to come.” – Oxford’s Gary Rowett
A Test of Resilience
QPR’s Julien Stephan expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance in light of their recent form. It was his fifth league match in a row going undefeated. Given the run followed an embarrassing 7-1 loss at Coventry on August 23, it’s an inspiring transformation for the perennial mid-table side. This resilience proved their power to weave together a new tapestry while being physically threatened and challenged to stand on their own.
Stephan commented on the physical nature of the contest, indicating that the youthful players largely tilted the scale as time wore on. “We wanted to put in fresh players. We could see physically at the end of the game we were above them and finished very well,” he said.
That contest came to a head in stoppage time when QPR’s Gary Rowett went head-to-head with Oxford’s Rhys Norrington-Davies. This meeting intensified the growing rivalry as both programs went head to head for control of the state.
Looking Ahead
Both sides are looking ahead to their next league matches now. Bristol City will be looking to capitalise on an additional day’s rest as they host QPR. It’s a busy week for Bristol City as they prepare for two consecutive home matches. This is their opportunity to shoot up the table into playoff position!
As this game showed, each point is precious in this cutthroat division. The result leaves Oxford and QPR in nasty predicaments. They need to challenge themselves to do better as they face their own difficult road in the months to come.
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