DELE IS DAZED

Bristol City 1, QPR 1

DELE ADEBOLA left Ashton Gate cursing a bouncing Czech.

The burly striker thought he had snatched victory for City three minutes from time.

His firm downward header looked a goal all the way but he did not bank on keeper Radek Cerny's heroics.

The former Spurs ace dived to his left to push out the ball from under his bar.

And that gave gutsy Rangers a point despite playing a man short for 39 minutes.

Argentine Emmanuel Ledesma was sent off on 51 minutes when he clattered Jamie McAllister on the touchline.

Ledesma had already been booked right on half time for time-wasting.

But that was scant consolation for one-time Coventry striker Adebola, who had cancelled out Dexter Blackstock's opener with City's leveller after 25 minutes.

Adebola said: "I thought the ball was in from the moment it left my head but the keeper got his hand on it and flicked it away.

"To see him tip it around the post was devastating but it was a great save.

"It's still early days for us and this is a good point against a team that will be right up there at the end of the season."

Rangers deserved to take the lead through Blackstock on 18 minutes. The striker chested down Damion Stewart's pass and somehow burst through tackles from Louis Carey and Liam Fontaine.

Blackstock was left on the deck but amazingly hooked in his shot.

But City took only seven minutes to level thanks to brilliant play by Brian Wilson.

Superb

The midfielder did well to keep the ball in play and whipped over a superb cross for Adebola to net from six yards.

But it was Rangers who went closest again when Blackstock's centre set up wide man Lee Cook.

The former Fulham man struck the ball first time, which forced City keeper Adriano Basso to save superbly. Ledesma, who scored a midweek hat-trick against Carlisle in the Carling Cup, then lost his head.

He tried to throw the ball back to McAllister but was booked by referee Darren Deadman for time-wasting.

Then, shortly after the break, Ledesma was taking an early bath for that foul on McAllister, leaving Rangers with an uphill battle.

Rangers pulled everybody back in defence and City ran out of ideas trying to break down a stubborn rearguard.

Yet City boss Gary Johnson was satisfied with the point.

He said: "When Rangers went down to 10 men they weren't interested in winning it and put nine men behind the ball.

"We opened them up a couple of times and their keeper pulled off two good saves but eight points from four games is not bad at this stage."