Paul Smyth delivered a dramatic 90th‑minute equaliser for a ten‑man Queens Park Rangers side, rescuing a point after they rallied from a two‑goal deficit to finish 2‑2 with a struggling Preston North End. The match unfolded with Johnny Kenny, making his debut for the club, netting an early opener after just 64 seconds and later adding a second strike, putting Preston in a commanding position in their first game since the dismissal of manager Paul Heckingbottom. However, the tide began to turn midway through the second half when Kwame Poku found the back of the net for the Rangers, narrowing the gap.
Smyth's late goal then ensured that the west‑London side walked away with a valuable point. Preston have endured a dreadful spell, losing six of their last seven fixtures and sitting at the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship.
This poor run led to Heckingbottom’s departure earlier in the week. In his stead, first‑team coach Jason Euell took temporary charge, and his side started brightly, thanks largely to Irish forward Kenny, who arrived from Celtic and immediately made an impact.
Kenny scored from the very first attack, capitalising on a mis‑judged long ball from Stan Mills that Jimmy Dunne failed to clear. The youngster then doubled Preston's lead after Rangers defender Dennis Cirkin was sent off for a reckless challenge on Leo Leroy.
Euell could not have asked for a better opening under the circumstances. The early goal came when Mills lofted a ball toward the halfway line; Dunne hesitated, allowing Kenny to intercept, sprint forward and slot the ball past goalkeeper Pierce Charles. The momentum shifted dramatically when, just fifteen minutes later, Cirkin received a straight red card after colliding heavily with Leroy.
The dismissal should have given Preston a comfortable cushion, and substitute Andrew Hughes had a chance to extend the lead, but his header from Alfie Devine’s cross sailed wide of the target despite being unmarked. Rangers, now reduced to ten men, continued to press.
In the 26th minute, Mills broke into the box from the right flank. Both Ronnie Edwards and Nicolas Madsen attempted to intervene but tangled with each other, leaving the ball loose.
Kenny pounced on the opportunity, firing a low first‑time shot into the far corner to make it 2‑0. Despite being a man down, QPR began to create chances.
Just before the break, Poku attempted to connect with a cross from Kealey Adamson but missed his timing. The second half saw Preston maintain pressure, with Edwards volleying wide and substitute Koki Saito striking the post. Both Madsen and Amadou Mbengue also sent shots over the bar, indicating that the visitors were not giving up.
Their persistence paid off in the 66th minute. Winger Kwame Poku, on his first goal for the club, capitalised on a long throw from Smyth. As Dunne tried to flick the ball on, Poku carved out space on the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a low drive that slipped past Daniel Iversen, reducing the deficit to 2‑1.
Preston then clung to their lead, while both sides rattled the woodwork. Callum Lang headed Andrija Vukcevic’s cross onto the bar, and on the opposite end Alfie Lloyd struck the bar before being denied by Iversen at point‑blank range. Iversen, however, could not prevent Smyth’s 20‑yard rocket in the dying minutes, though he did produce a crucial save later to deny Madsen. After the final whistle, QPR midfielder Julien Stephan reflected on the comeback: "In the second half we didn’t feel like we were a man down; the support from the fans made it feel like we had eleven on the pitch.
I’ve never experienced anything like this in my career – this night will stay with me for a long time. It’s technically one point, but it feels like three in the hearts of the supporters and the players." Preston caretaker manager Jason Euell expressed his disappointment: "It’s disheartening.
When you’re 2‑0 up against ten men you expect to walk away with more than a single point. At halftime I told the squad I loved their performance but also hated the complacency that allowed QPR to grow back into the game.
This is a learning curve – we need calmness and focus in managing a lead. We’re disappointed, and I know the fans are too.
You earned a point, but you also dropped two." The match highlighted the fine margins in football: a red card, missed chances, and a late surge from a reduced side can overturn what appears to be a comfortable lead. For Preston, the result underscores the challenges they face in trying to climb out of the relegation zone, while QPR can take heart from their resilience and the belief that they can compete even when numerically disadvantaged. Both teams will now look ahead to their next fixtures, hoping to build on the positives and address the shortcomings that this dramatic encounter exposed.