Freeman’s cracking goal rescues point for QPR

Barnsley 1 QPR 1

Luke Freeman’s brilliant late equaliser rescued a point for QPR.

Freeman struck three minutes from time at Oakwell, cutting in from the right and firing home with a left-footed drive from near the edge of the penalty area.

Harvey Barnes’ 20th-minute goal looked like giving Barnsley the points.

Barnes moved in from the left and sent a curling shot beyond keeper Alex Smithies and into the far corner of the net.

Rangers are now without a win in four matches and struggled for large parts of the game, but they battled on and were eventually rewarded.

Boss Ian Holloway restored Steven Caulker to the side and gave recent signing Bright Osayi-Samuel his first start.

But with his team a goal down and Jamie Mackie having been isolated up front, Holloway took Osayi-Samuel off at half-time and sent on Conor Washington.

The visitors were better in the second half and quickly threatened an equaliser, with Jake Bidwell volleying over the bar and former Barnsley man Josh Scowen heading over from Freeman’s corner.

Their best chance before equalising fell to Pawel Wszolek, who sliced a shot wide of the near post after being set up by Mackie.

Holloway then sent on Matt Smith and then Kazenga LuaLua, who created a late chance as Rangers searched for an equaliser.

LuaLua did well on the flank and crossed to Smith, whose toe-poke was kept out by keeper Adam Davies at the near post.

Barnsley were a threat on the counter-attack and Smithies denied Adam Hammill and on-loan Chelsea striker Ike Ugbo before Freeman levelled.