Queens Park Rangers vs Blackburn Rovers. Sky Bet Championship.
Loftus Road StadiumAttendance14,007.
Thursday 17 September 2015 11:30, UK
Nedum Onuoha's late goal denied Blackburn a first victory of the season as QPR twice came from behind to snatch a 2-2 draw.
Rovers looked set to break their win duck when Jordan Rhodes fired them ahead for a second time on the hour mark, but Rangers skipper Onuoha powered in a header with 13 minutes remaining to rescue a point.
Blackburn had taken a 14th-minute lead through a controversial Shane Duffy goal, but Charlie Austin hauled Rangers level with his sixth strike of the season moments into the second half.
Not that Rovers defender Tommy Spurr will remember too much about the match.
Spurr's evening came to a premature and painful end with barely a minute on the clock after he was knocked out by a stray knee in the Rangers penalty box.
He required lengthy treatment before being stretchered off - although thankfully the full-back was later said to be up and about in the dressing room.
When play finally resumed the action switched to Rangers' penalty area, where this time a collision went Blackburn's way.
Shane Duffy muscled in front of Alex Smithies as the keeper attempted to collect Craig Conway's free-kick, heading the ball downwards before poking it over the line.
Smithies, making his full debut with Rob Green suspended, angrily claimed he had been fouled but was shown a yellow card for his protests.
Smithies atoned for his error during seven minutes of first-half stoppage time when Rhodes looked odds on to score, spreading himself to make a stunning point-blank save.
Rangers equalised just 30 seconds after the interval when Massimo Luongo's ball into the area deflected into the path of Austin.
The striker's initial shot was saved by Rovers keeper Jason Steele, but Austin lashed home the rebound from a tight angle with Adam Henley unable to keep the ball out on the goal-line.
Rangers had a penalty appeal turned down after claiming Marcus Olsson had blocked Karl Henry's shot with a hand, and moments later Rovers regained the lead.
Rhodes latched on to Bengali-Fode Koita's flick-on and touched the ball past Onuoha before poking it past Smithies for his second goal in two games.
However, Onuoha made his mark at the opposite end of the field when he arrived at the far post to meet Daniel Tozser's corner with a thumping header which flew past Steele and into the net to secure a point for the hosts.
