Stoke City missed the chance to make up ground in the Championship play-off race as they were held to a 0-0 draw by a disciplined Queens Park Rangers side at the bet365 Stadium. The play-off chasing Potters, looking for a third win in a row, created the better of the first-half openings but could not break down a well-organised visiting defence.
A week after knocking league leaders Coventry City out of the FA Cup on home soil, Mark Robins' side were unable to summon similar drama in a tetchy league contest that rarely caught fire. To compound the frustration for the hosts, Manchester City loanee Divin Mubama was taken off on a stretcher early in the second half after a late challenge from QPR defender Jimmy Dunne, turning an already drab afternoon into a worrying one.
Stoke Start Brightly but Lack the Cutting Edge
Stoke began on the front foot, immediately pinning QPR back and forcing the visitors to work hard just to clear their lines. Tomas Rigo set the tone inside the opening 10 minutes, unleashing a fierce long-range snap-shot that Joe Walsh in the Rangers goal had to beat away. Lamine Cisse soon went close as well, darting on to a teasing Rigo cross and firing into the side-netting as the home side pressed for an early breakthrough.