Match ends, Blackburn Rovers 1, Queens Park Rangers 1.
BlackburnBlackburn Rovers1QPRQueens Park Rangers1
Hope Akpan's late equaliser earned Blackburn a draw against QPR in a tightly fought Championship encounter.
Leroy Fer opened the scoring from close range after Rovers keeper Jason Steele had missed Junior Hoilett's cross.
Sebastian Polter had a shot well saved by Steele, while Shane Duffy had a header cleared off the line for Rovers.
Both sides struggled to create chance in the second half, before poor defending allowed Akpan to head in Ben Marshall's throw-in at the far post.
Akpan's late goal, his second since joining Rovers from Reading in August, means QPR are still without a win since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was appointed as manager on 4 December.
Rangers were gifted their opening goal, as Steele left Fer the easiest of finishes when he rushed out to gather Hoilett's low cross and failed to gather in the ball.
Duffy almost gave Rovers an unlikely equaliser on the stroke of half-time, but Matt Phillips reacted quickly to stop his header from Craig Conway's corner.
The hosts rarely tested QPR keeper Joe Lumley in the second half, but the 20-year-old failed to deal with Marshall's long throw to gift Akpan an equaliser.
Blackburn manager Paul Lambert said:
"How we went down a goal, I don't know. All credit to the team, I thought the very least we deserved was to get something from it.
"I was happy with them coming back. We've had a wee bit of a hard time the last few weeks and we're playing against a good side.
"I thought it was no more than we deserved. It's a big point."
QPR manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said:
"There were so many positives that really I should only look really at those positives and we need to build from those positives. If you keep performing like that, that win will come.
"I'm not really that worried or nervous, I'm very proud of the boys and how they have performed.
"They should have got more but football is cruel, you just need to make sure that the next time it is you that does it and keep on working."
Line-ups
Blackburn
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 30Steele
- 10Marshall
- 22DuffySubstituted forWilliamsonat 77'minutes
- 5Hanley
- 3Spurr
- 31Bennett
- 29EvansSubstituted forLenihanat 66'minutes
- 21Akpan
- 32Conway
- 16LawrenceSubstituted forBrownat 66'minutes
- 11Rhodes
Substitutes
- 2Henley
- 9Brown
- 14Olsson
- 17Williamson
- 19Taylor
- 26Lenihan
- 33Raya
QPR
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 13Lumley
- 24Perch
- 5Onuoha
- 4Hall
- 15Konchesky
- 20Henry
- 18Faurlin
- 7PhillipsSubstituted forPetrassoat 88'minutes
- 10Fer
- 23HoilettSubstituted forCheryat 90+1'minutes
- 33Polter
Substitutes
- 8Chery
- 12Mackie
- 21Luongo
- 26Angella
- 28Tözsér
- 34Petrasso
- 45Hudnott
- Referee:
- Eddie Ilderton
- Attendance:
- 12,285
Match Stats
Home TeamBlackburnAway TeamQPR
- Possession
- Home57%
- Away43%
- Shots
- Home14
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away3
- Corners
- Home7
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away10
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Blackburn Rovers 1, Queens Park Rangers 1.
Post update
Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Nedum Onuoha.
Post update
Attempt saved. Jordan Rhodes (Blackburn Rovers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Thomas Spurr with a cross.
Post update
Foul by Hope Akpan (Blackburn Rovers).
Post update
Leroy Fer (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Queens Park Rangers. Tjaronn Chery replaces Junior Hoilett.
Substitution
Substitution, Queens Park Rangers. Michael Petrasso replaces Matthew Phillips.
Goal!
Goal! Blackburn Rovers 1, Queens Park Rangers 1. Hope Akpan (Blackburn Rovers) header from very close range to the bottom left corner.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Elliott Bennett (Blackburn Rovers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Post update
Attempt missed. Chris Brown (Blackburn Rovers) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Grant Hanley with a headed pass following a set piece situation.
Post update
Thomas Spurr (Blackburn Rovers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Sebastian Polter (Queens Park Rangers).
Post update
Attempt missed. Junior Hoilett (Queens Park Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right.
Post update
Attempt saved. Thomas Spurr (Blackburn Rovers) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Craig Conway with a cross.
Post update
Corner, Blackburn Rovers. Conceded by Karl Henry.
Substitution
Substitution, Blackburn Rovers. Lee Williamson replaces Shane Duffy.
Post update
Attempt missed. Alejandro Faurlin (Queens Park Rangers) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left from a direct free kick.
Post update
Foul by Shane Duffy (Blackburn Rovers).
Post update
Sebastian Polter (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
