Leeds United must give Patrick Bamford greater support

Bamford endured a miserable afternoon at Loftus Road with the forward seeing his 57th-minute spot-kick saved by Liam Kelly.

Bamford also put a one-on-one opportunity over the bar and a close-range header wide as Leeds proved unable to respond to Nahki Wells’s controversial strike in the 20th minute which came after the striker had twice handled in controlling the ball.

Ayling admitted the former Huddersfield striker’s goal and defeat were bitter pills to swallow as was Kalvin Phillips’s straight red-card for a reckless tackle on Geoff Cameron in the 88th minute. As has often been the case, Leeds again dominated in terms of possession and attempts at goal but ultimately fell to a third league loss from their last six games.

Squandering chances is costing the Whites dear but right-back Ayling said it was up to United’s team as a whole and not just Bamford to solve their woes in front of goal.

“It is frustrating but it comes from the whole team,” said Ayling.

“You can’t just put it on one man to score all the goals, it’s got to come from a lot of players. They have got to chip in with goals.

“I don’t think the players have scored enough around Pat because Pat has chipped in with a lot lately and the boys need to start chipping in as well.”

QPR netted the only goal from one of just two shots on target from nine attempts as opposed to United’s 17 with just three on testing goalkeeper Kelly.

Pablo Hernandez went particularly close when seeing a second-half free-kick strike the outside of the post. Wells twice handled before netting and Ayling admitted referee Peter Bankes’s decision to let the goal stand was difficult to digest.

“It’s happened quickly, everybody knows how hard it is for the referee,” said Ayling. “But it’s hard to take because the ball has come off both of his hands. The first one has hit him quite quickly but then his second hand knocked it into his path. It’s frustrating when things like that happen to us and a few things have not gone our way lately, or through the whole season.

“I feel like the boys have played well and we have made a lot of chances and things haven’t gone our way. They have had one shot on target... it’s hard to take.”

The result left Leeds, just four points clear of Fulham.

Queens Park Rangers: Kelly, Kane, Hall, Masterson, Wallace, Cameron, Amos (Scowen 74), Osayi-Samuel, Chair (Clarke 74), Eze, Wells (Pugh 83). Unused substitutes: Ball, Manning, Barnes, Leistner.

Leeds United: Casilla, Ayling, White, Cooper, Dallas (Alioski 45), Phillips, Costa, Hernandez, Klich (Stevens 87), Harrison, Bamford. Unused substitutes: Meslier, Struijk, McCalmont, Shackleton, Casey.

Referee: P Bankes (Merseyside).