'The boys dug in': Mark Warburton delighted with QPR's fighting qualities as 10 men beat Blackpool at the death

The R's were forced to play around 50 minutes with a man down following Dion Sanderson's thoughtless red card for a headbutt on Reece James.

Leading 1-0 at the time, Warburton's men managed to hold on until the 82nd minute when Josh Bowler equalised against his former club.

But the home side, who now sit third in the Championship table, still managed to snatch the three points courtesy of Luke Amos' 89th-minute winner.

“The sending-off changes everything in terms of the dynamic of the game," Warburton said.

"The boys dug in in the second half. The boys responded – and it’s those moments that can galvanise a team and a club in an important season.

“Everyone would have expected us after the equaliser to be hanging on for the last five minutes, but they showed their quality.

“We’re not a team that can just sit back and try to defend. We’re at our best on the front foot and that was the message at half-time: to stay on the front foot.”

On Sanderson's straight red, which followed a cynical challenge on him from James, Warburton added: “It could have cost us and he knows that.

“He was having a great game, made one or two great interceptions​,​ and I was really pleased with him.

“He’s 22 and he’ll learn. Is it right? No. But he’s made a mistake. He was devastated in the changing room – he realised the implication and what could have happened.

“He apologised to the players and that showed his character.”

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