GARETH Ainsworth was left to regret another QPR red card as the Hoops went down to a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Championship leaders Leicester.
The under-fire Loftus Road boss must have thought it was going to be another long afternoon in the dug-out once Stephy Mavididi’s deflected shot put the Foxes in front on the half-hour.
Within 10 minutes his battling side were back on terms thanks to Andre Dozzell’s strike from the edge of the box after Lyndon Dykes saw a header hacked off the line.
But that was to be the highlight of Dozzell’s day as just before the hour he picked up a second caution after shoving Abdul Fatawu to the ground right in front of the referee.
For the second consecutive game QPR had to play out the majority of the second-half a man short and they paid the price yet again when Harry Winks’ superb 80th minute goal sealed victory for Leicester.
QPR remain six points from safety and the manager admitted they had shot themselves in the foot with Dozzell’s dismissal.
Ainsworth said: “That was a good performance but the sending off has really changed it and I’m disappointed.
“I keep things in house obviously, but Andre has apologised to everyone in there and he will have to take that one on the chin.
“It happens in football, these gamesmanships that people play, and I think the Leicester boy knows exactly what he is doing.
“He gets a reaction, goes down and that is a second yellow card for Andre in what is a crazy moment.”
It may well have been a familiar outcome in terms of the result, but there is no denying this was a vastly improved display from the Hoops, one Ainsworth is demanding they replicate regularly from now on.
He explained: “I’m proud of the effort everyone gave. It proves that it’s in them.
“I need more performances like that. I need more guts, willingness, desire, running, closing, tackling, belief.
“It is just stupidity again that has cost us though, a moment of naivety from somebody who you think is probably a bit more experienced than that.
“I’m gutted that we lost that game.
“It has taken a worldie strike from a Premier League player who is probably on more money than the entire squad I’ve got, but he deserves it because he is a quality player.
“We kept a really, really good Leicester team at serious bay today.”
Ainsworth added: “I think we out-shot them in the first-half.
“Chances were going to be few and far between but you are playing against the top of the league.
“You are playing against a Premier League side that has come down, kept all their players – they’ve put Iheanacho on at the end there.
“I’m really proud – there were some really good positives.
“Reggie Cannon I thought was another big plus, more minutes for him. But I saw some things from players that I need to see week in, week out now, not just now and again.”
