Ian Holloway frustrated by costly defensive slip in QPR’s defeat at Norwich City

Ian Holloway was frustrated by the defensive slip that triggered Queens Park Rangers’ 2-0 defeat at Norwich.

Rangers, beaten 4-0 at Carrow Road on the final day of last season, held their own in the first half.

However, less than three minutes after the break they were punished for carelessly giving away possession, with Mario Vrancic slipping an excellent pass for Nelson Oliveira to slide the ball beyond Alex Smithies.

“I actually thought we defended well for most of the game but what you saw there [for the goal] was unacceptable,” said the QPR boss.

“We could easily have cleared the ball up to our striker and put them under pressure but the ball went straight to them and then they played through us far too easily. We should have been more switched on and covered the second ball.

“Goals change games and if we had scored the first one I think we would have gone on to win.”

Rangers almost equalised immediately, with Jamie Mackie firing straight at Angus Gunn from just outside the six-yard box when shooting to either side would have been a certain goal.

But Norwich secured the win on 82 minutes when Harrison Reed scored with a long-range effort.

Holloway added: “I thought we deserved more from the first half. We looked a really good team at times.

“Unfortunately we didn’t turn our dominance into goals and that’s what costs you at this level.”