QUEENS Park Rangers goalkeeper Joe Walsh was the star of the show as he helped thwart Charlton Athletic on Friday night – before the hosts almost undeservedly lost it as they needed Lyndon Dykes to clear the ball off the line to save their point.
Nathan Jones’s side had five good attempts on target, with the pick of Walsh’s saves a trailing leg to deny Conor Coady and a fingertip save to prevent ex-Hoops forward Charlie Kelman from giving the hosts the lead.
Julien Stephan’s side didn’t threaten until late on when Addicks goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski bravely denied Rayan Kolli after he had been put through by Nicolas Madsen.
Dykes then cleared Jimmy Dunne’s header away from right on the line as neither side could make major inroads in their relegation fight and play-off challenge, respectively.
“For 90 minutes I was really, really pleased with the level of performance,” Jones said. “For the last eight minutes we caused ourselves problems with turning the ball over and giving them opportunities to counter-attack.
“In the second half we had three chances and their keeper made three saves. A great save from Dykesy, a save from Luke Chambers and another one from Charlie Kelman. We’ve had some really good chances. It’s just a shame that we didn’t have that bit of composure or quality to win the game.“
“QPR are in good form and have a very experienced back four that know how to defend. Their keeper has had man of the match. It shows we have done something right. We were the better side and looked the more dangerous.
“Apart from injury-time, I didn’t really feel under any pressure. In injury-time we have to manage the game better. We needed a bit more impact from the bench and to make better decisions in the final third. We really pinned them back in the first half.”
Stephan was pleased with how his side improved in the second half.
“I was not very happy at half-time and we wanted to react strongly for the second half, and I think we did well in the second half,” Stephan said.
“We fixed some problems at half-time in the dressing room. First, it was the quality of our first line of pressure. It was crucial because we knew before the game that with [Lloyd] Jones and Coady, probably they would use a lot of long ball, diagonal ball for the striker position between our centre-back and our full-back.
“So the first line of pressure was better in the second half and the block, the team block, was better as well.”
Stephan added: “Probably in the second half we deserve more but we have to be more efficient when we have situations.
“But I am satisfied with the second half, how the players react, how we improve in terms of pressing, how we deal with the first line of pressure and even in possession, it was better.
“I think we finished with eighteen shots this game, so not a lot in the first half, a lot in the second half.
“QPR have now drawn three successive away games 0-0.
“The good side is we are able to continue the clean sheets away, but we need to be more efficient if we want to score,” Stephan said.
Daniel Bennie and Kolli were introduced during the second period at the Valley for Koki Saito and Paul Smyth respectively, and Stéphan was pleased with their impact, admitting it was part of the gameplan to use them in the latter stages.
“I think in the last 15, 20 minutes, there were more spaces, more transition,” he said.
“And with [Daniel] Bennie on the right side and Kolli on the left side, it was a plan to finish the game like this, to add some legs on the pitch in order to use this space and have the best opportunities.
“And we had the best opportunities, a fantastic one with Kolli, but the keeper did a good save.”
Walsh missed four months with a broken wrist but has kept three clean sheets in five league games since his return in January.
“He has continued to do some good performances,” Stephan said. “He had a bad injury in the first part of the season and now he’s come back well.
“He has shown personality, character and his quality, so it’s good for him, it’s good for us as well.”
Charlton host Stoke City on Wednesday at 7.45pm.
QPR face Blackburn Rovers at Loftus Road on Saturday at 3pm.
