Michael FreyImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Michael Frey had the game's only shot on target

Queens Park Rangers endured a frustrating night at Loftus Road as they were held to a goalless draw in the Championship by Oxford United.

The hosts dominated the game but failed to break down the visitors' defence and could only muster one shot on target.

That effort came at the end of the first half when Michael Frey's curling shot from just outside the box was well saved by Jamie Cumming in the Oxford goal.

But despite waves of pressure and threatening from their nine corners, there was no way through for Rangers.

They drop a place to 10th in the table while a battling point for Oxford, and a first clean sheet of the season in the league, helps them move out of the relegation zone up to 21st.

The U's defended stoutly but failed to get anything going in attack and it took until deep into stoppage time at the end of the game for their only threat on goal.

Brian De Keersmaecker swung in a free-kick from the right and Michal Helik found space seven yards out to loop a header towards the left-hand post but it flew wide.

Rangers came close to breaking the deadlock several times without crafting a true clear-cut chance.

In the first half, Steve Cook blasted a left-foot shot over the bar from a tight angle before heading a corner over after the break.

And Rumarn Burrell got in front of his marker to meet a low cross from the left at the near post but he could only stab his effort wide.

Media caption,

Stéphan: "Not effective enough in penalty area."

QPR boss Julian Stephan:

"It's always a process to build something. Confidence is so important for the players. We took 11 points in the last five weeks so that increases confidence.

"But I think we have a margin to improve our decisions in the last third.

"In the second half we stayed dominant, stayed in their half. We had our chances but some of our decisions were not that good. That's why we didn't create.

"But five games unbeaten, 12 points. OK. It's not perfect, but it's OK."

Oxford head coach Gary Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford:

"It's a big point and a big away performance in terms of the defensive effort, the endeavour, the resilience.

"In the first 45 minutes I actually felt pretty comfortable - we just couldn't find the touch, pass, shot from some good positions.

"Second half, the challenge was when the game became more scrappy and direct and they pinned us in. They didn't create many chances but then we didn't until the 95th minute."

Media caption,

Rowett: 'It's a big point'

Player of the match

Number: 18 R. Norrington-Davies
Average rating 6.66
Number: 18 R. Norrington-Davies
Average Rating: 6.66
Number: 5 S. Cook
Average Rating: 6.61
Number: 3 J. Dunne
Average Rating: 6.46
Number: 11 P. Smyth
Average Rating: 6.45
Number: 27 A. Mbengue
Average Rating: 6.42
Number: 20 H. Vale
Average Rating: 6.34
Number: 22 R. Kone
Average Rating: 6.33
Number: 12 M. Frey
Average Rating: 6.23
Number: 14 K. Saito
Average Rating: 6.22
Number: 24 N. Madsen
Average Rating: 6.22
Number: 16 R. Burrell
Average Rating: 6.16
Number: 1 P. Nardi
Average Rating: 6.11
Number: 8 S. Field
Average Rating: 5.96
Number: 7 K. Dembélé
Average Rating: 5.94
Number: 15 I. Hayden
Average Rating: 5.72
Number: 40 J. Varane
Average Rating: 5.56

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.

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