Queens Park Rangers (A) Schumacher's Reaction

Argyle manager Steven Schumacher said that his side's 0-0 draw at Queens Park Rangers felt like a win in the circumstances which developed during the evening. 

The Greens made a superb start to the game, creating numerous chances and largely pinning their hosts into their own half, but the game took a huge turn when Dan Scarr was sent off 25 minutes in, for serious foul play. 

This naturally changed the complexion of the game, with Argyle's objective switching to preservation of a point. They did just that with an excellent, organised, defensive display to see the game out in relative comfort. 

"I’m proud of the players," said Schumacher. "The result almost feels like a win under the circumstances. The effort and desire to keep the ball out of the net was outstanding.

"The only thing about it is we probably should be coming away with a 1-0 win because the way we played in that first 15, 20 minutes was outstanding and we should have scored.

"If we do score, then we've got something to hang on to. We could be coming away with three points, but I can't complain too much. Any point on the road is good.

"What we'd spoken about in the week, how we felt we could hurt QPR was working. Everything was going to plan apart from the fact that we hadn't scored. We felt as long as the game went on, we knew that we'd get stronger - and then the sending off changes everything.

"It means that you've got to adjust, try to get a bit more secure, a bit more defensive and try to catch them on a counter-attack. I think we only had a couple of attempts after the red card, so we didn't create too much, but you're never going to.

"They have been flying as well, with three wins on the bounce. They're playing with confidence, but we stood up to everything that they threw at us, and we deserved something from the game.

"I think they had one attack, maybe one cross that looked dangerous before the red card, and Brendan Galloway defended unbelievably on the back post; it was why he was in the team. We knew that they attacked down the left-hand side and put balls in towards your back post.

"Brendan is a brilliant defender and got us out of it in that instance. After that, obviously, they're going to have the majority of the ball. I think a lot of their attempts, there was somebody putting pressure on them. It wasn't any big, clear-cut chances and Conor [Hazard] dealt with everything that was thrown at him.

"I’m pleased for him, pleased for everybody to get a clean sheet and to come away from what was going to be a tough game with a point."

Nearly 2,000 members of the Green Army were in the MATRADE Loftus Road away end. They started loud - and got louder. They clearly appreciated the effort their side put in, and vocalised that in a similar, positive manner to way they had backed the side four days earlier, after a defeat at Leicester City. 

Eyes now turn to a home game against Rotherham United at Home Park on Saturday. It is a quick turnaround for the Pilgrims, who will arrive in Plymouth very late - or very early on Thursday morning, to be accurate - and have to get up to speed for the visit of the Millers sharpish. 

Schumacher says this hugely creditable performance and result sets his side up nicely. 

"If we'd have conceded late on there, it would be deflating because of the effort that the lads put in," he said. "We've got something from our effort. It makes the journey home better. We’ll get home at about five o'clock in the morning, probably, and we get in tomorrow and get preparing for what's another huge game on Saturday, against Rotherham.

"You want to keep trying to build momentum, keep trying to put back-to-back results together. If we can do that and take maximum points on Saturday, then this is an even better point.

"Again, [the Green Army] were brilliant. On Saturday, at Leicester, they were [as well], and that was my last thing. We left the dressing room on Saturday and said that we needed to put a performance in tonight for our fans.

"Two-thousand tickets sold on a Wednesday night in London is unbelievable. That was my message before the game: this is for them. And the lads put everything in, 100 per cent effort in, and they get the rewards from it. They get clapped off by our fans, and we really appreciate it."