Holloway defends Onuoha after QPR defeat

QPR boss Ian Holloway insisted captain Nedum Onuoha should not have been sent off in the 3-0 defeat at Brighton.

Onuoha was dismissed after a tangle with Brighton striker Sam Baldock as he attempted to race clear on goal.

Albion manager Chris Hughton also felt the red card was harsh and a frustrated Holloway, who felt Onuoha was left exposed by centre-back partner Grant Hall, laid into referee Keith Stroud.

He said: “When he blew the whistle I feared the worst. Talk about ruining a game.

“We’re already 2-0 down and you’re going to send my skipper off? It has to be crystal clear, doesn’t it?

“That is about as harsh as it can be. And that after [Idrissa] Sylla, in the first half, gets smashed by [Shane] Duffy and we don’t even get a free-kick.”

However, Holloway was happy with elements of his side’s performance, particularly in the first half when they passed up several opportunities to cancel out Sam Baldock’s 11th-minute opener.

He said: “Coming off the back of five defeats in a row, losing three players in training as well, it could have been massive.

“But I was very pleased with certain things. I thought we did very well at times.

“Unfortunately we didn’t get what we needed to get us back in it.

“The second goal was absolutely vital and typically for us we go slightly deep.

“Massimo [Luongo] goes towards his own goal just to help us a bit as we’re all edgy.

“Then when it’s pulled back he decides to go to ground. I didn’t feel it was a penalty at first but watching it back it was.”