Birmingham boss Chris Davies rues ‘very painful’ late defeat at QPR

Birmingham boss Chris Davies admitted the last-gasp 2-1 defeat at QPR was as painful as it gets.

Blues thought they had secured a point when Patrick Roberts cancelled out Jimmy Dunne’s first-half header in the third minute of stoppage time.

But Rangers went straight up the other end and substitute Kieran Morgan, who only came on with four minutes of normal time remaining, crashed in a dramatic winner with the last kick of the match.

It secured a fourth win from their last five matches for the Hoops, while Birmingham have now lost seven matches on the road this season.

“Obviously it’s a very painful defeat, as painful as it gets really, to get a goal in the last few minutes and then concede in the last seconds.

“In terms of the game itself we were too slow in the first half. The problem in some ways was the first goal, not the last.

“We gave ourselves too much to do. There had not been a lot of football on show from either team and we needed to get to half-time 0-0 and build from there.

“I don’t think we got in their box often. But staying in the game was a good sign and then we think can we get a point, which we nearly did.

“Last-minute winners are the worst feeling in football and we have to take our medicine.”

Rangers went ahead five minutes before half-time after Birmingham only half-cleared a corner.

Koki Saito swung the ball back towards the far post where Rangers captain Dunne rose to powerfully head his second goal of the season past Blues goalkeeper James Beadle.

Birmingham had barely registered an effort on goal all night, but as time ticked away and QPR retreated, Demarai Gray fizzed in a low cross which zipped all the way to Roberts, who finished at the far post.

But Rangers won a free-kick at the death and Jonathan Varane laid the ball back to Morgan who, from 20 yards out, pinged a superb drive through the arms of Beadle to win it.

The Hoops are now up to sixth, and boss Julien Stephan said: “It was a lot of positive emotion just after a negative emotion.

“What a fantastic game we did, especially in the second half. I think it was a great game. Usually they are a team who shoots a lot and they shot three times, one on target.

“Then what character after a bad moment. All credit to the players. It was amazing. It’s probably why we do this job, to share that emotion.”