Bristol City headed into the October international break with a frustrating 2-1 defeat to Queens Park Rangers at Ashton GateBristol City and Gerhard Struber headed into the October international break with a defeat to QPR(Image: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)

Gerhard Struber has shared his verdict on two decisions that went against Bristol City in their defeat to Queens Park Rangers, admitting it was “painful” that the officials had a major impact on the result at Ashton Gate.

City headed into the October international break with their second defeat of the Championship season as they conceded twice in the second half to lose 2-1 to QPR on Saturday afternoon. Emil Riis had given City the lead in the first half, but goals from Richard Kone and Paul Smyth ensured the Dane’s header mattered very little.

Riis opened the scoring with 32 minutes played when he rose highest to nod Neto Borges’ chipped ball back across goal and into the top left corner. The Reds had chances to further extend their advantage, but it was the away side who scored next when Kone smashed in from close range after 66 minutes.

OPINION

READ MORE: Bristol City 1-2 QPR live: Smyth heads away side into late lead after Kone leveller

Just 18 minutes later, Smyth scored what proved to be the winner when he looped a header up and over Radek Vitek to find the back of the net. As the substitute celebrated, Ross McCrorie was left in a heap on the floor in the area, with the Scotsman feeling he had been pushed by the away side’s goalscorer.

The referee was not interested in the wing-back’s appeal or the arguments of his City teammates when, a matter of minutes later, they felt they should have been awarded a penalty as Borges was brought to ground in the Hoops’ penalty area.

Although Struber was keen for his side to shoulder plenty of the blame for their poor performance and the poor result, he was left frustrated by the decisions of the officials in important moments.

“We have to be critical with ourselves with how we deal in both boxes,” the head coach explained in his post-match press conference. “But at the same time, two moments where the referee, on a really good level, could help us in the end to create the right decisions.

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“This was a foul on McCrorie, and this was a foul, in the end, on Neto in the penalty area. Both situations were not at the highest level from the referee, and this is also very, very painful that we have in the end, a result where we influenced in the direction, but also, the referee was not happy.

“Yes, this was a clear push,” Struber continued to Bristol Live on the appeals for a foul during QPR’s second goal. “We show it now again. The referee was very close, and this was the big surprise.

“On the next direction with Neto, when you look at what is going on, on his lip, it’s completely open. This was a clear touch and in this direction, [we’re] very unlucky two times with the referee and his decision.

“In the end, this can happen,” the City boss added. “This will be not the last time, so we have to deal with that and not let us drive in the end to be the passenger on the plane emotionally.”

While it was mistakes in front of their own goal that proved costly in the defeat to QPR, Struber’s side should have put the game to bed long before the Hoops pulled level.

Each of Scott Twine, McCrorie, Yu Hirakawa, and Anis Mehmeti had great opportunities to find the back of the net. It was Twine who had the best chance, with the attacking midfielder only able to find the Atyeo Stand from close range in the first half after being picked out by Riis.

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In truth, that sense of what-if only added to the head coach’s post-match frustration.

“In the end, we were, in some moments, not sharp enough,” Struber said. “They have some moments with cross-balls.

“It was too easy how they come with quality cross-balls, we were not with the right pressure there, and of course, we were surprised with how they catch up in the line, and on the second balls, we were not ready. This was, in the end, the problem defence-wise, and, of course, we have enough chances to win this game.

“We were in front of the goal, two or three times, and we have to score. I can remember Twiney first half, Ross McCrorie second half, also Yu has a good moment, Anis has a good moment, so I would say in this direction we have to score.

“In both boxes, today the problem was that we’re not sharp enough and we give the lead away so cheap, it is really frustrating.”

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