Injuries take shine off win at QPR for Blackpool boss Michael Appleton

Posted Wednesday, August 17, 2022 by PA

Blackpool boss Michael Appleton savoured his side’s 1-0 win at QPR but admitted his joy was tempered by concern for injured midfielders Charlie Patino and Lewis Fiorini.

Both on-loan youngsters were taken off at Loftus Road, where Josh Bowler’s goal against his former club secured the points.

Arsenal’s Patino has a nasty-looking ankle injury and Manchester City’s Fiorini may have torn a hamstring.

Appleton said: “It’s not great, if I’m being honest. We’ll know the full extent over the next 72 hours I would imagine.

“Lewis has done his hamstring. How badly, we won’t know until it’s been scanned.

“Charlie’s ankle is quite badly swollen. We’ve got to get the swelling down and then once the swelling is under control we can go and get it scanned.

“We look a little light in midfield now and that worries me a bit.”

The visitors had to absorb pressure in the second half as Rangers tried to respond to Bowler’s goal just before the interval.

“We played well in that first half and really contributed to a decent game of football,” Appleton said.

“We went ahead and looked comfortable. Then the injury to Charlie was a big blow because he was having a big influence on the game.

“They’ll get better as a group. They’ll learn how to deal with being ahead in games and be a bit braver and continue to press higher up the pitch.

“But I’ve been in their shoes and know what it’s like – sometimes you want to protect what you’ve got and hit teams on the counter-attack.”

QPR boss Michael Beale bemoaned the missed chances in the first half which cost his side.

Lyndon Dykes had a golden opportunity but shot tamely at keeper Matt Grimshaw and was also unable to find the net after being set up by on-loan Manchester United right-back Ethan Laird.

Beale said: “We should be two or three up before we go 1-0 down. Then we concede at the worst possible time – right on half-time.

“We spoke about it and said that if we kept playing then opportunities would come, and I felt we did that.

“We threw a lot of energy at it in that second half and were a bit anxious at times. We were a bit loose in possession because of trying so hard – and the goal didn’t come.

“I thought if we could score early in the second half then we would be the team with the momentum. We couldn’t find the goal.

“But we had some fantastic chances early in the game. Ethan flashes one across the six-yard box and we have to score in that moment. Then he pulls one back to Lyndon and I think we need to score in that moment as well.”