PHIL Parkinson insists two dropped points against QPR will not de-rail his improving Wanderers.

Storm Brian did its worst at the Macron in some of the heaviest conditions seen at the stadium in years. And Idrissa Sylla’s late equaliser did little to cheer sodden Whites fans who had braved the weather.

Darren Pratley had put Wanderers in control of a scrappy game with his first goal in 19 months but despite fading in the second period, Parkinson remains optimistic they remain on the right track.

“When you lead a game 1-0, of course you are disappointed to drop two points,” he told The Bolton News. “But I think the fact we’re disappointed about it tells you a lot about where we’ve got to in the last few weeks.

“A few of the players didn’t get themselves to the standards they’d set last week but there were some encouraging signs.

“The two centre-backs were magnificent and we take those positives into the next couple of games now.”

Although there was no question of referee James Linnington abandoning the game, conditions deteriorated severely after half time. Parkinson admits QPR’s better reaction to the soaking pitch got them back into the game.

“The conditions played a massive part,” he said. “Since I have been here it’s very unusual for the wind to have such an impact. Normally you walk from the car to the ground and it can be really windy outside but out on the pitch it’s so still.

“It was difficult to play on but I thought we adapted better in the first half. After that the pitch got heavier and heavier and we couldn’t get enough quality in our play.

“Every time Sammy got on the ball, QPR got around him really quickly. I think they looked at the key elements of our performance against Sheffield Wednesday and looked to neutralise them. They did that, and fair play to them.

“Even so, if someone would have offered us four points from two games last week we would have taken it. We have improved since the Villa game and we’ll keep going.”