Hill back as QPR draw with Wednesday

QPR 0 Sheffield Wednesday 0

The recalled Clint Hill helped QPR to their first home clean sheet of the season but a blunt attack laboured to a goalless draw.

Sheffield Wednesday winger Modou Sougou was stretchered off at Loftus Road after he was poleaxed by a last-ditch challenge from Hill shortly before half-time as he looked to pounce on the loose ball after the Rangers defender had slipped.

The visitors were furious that Hill was not sent off as Sougou would have been through on goal – and replays suggested Hill did not get the ball.

Referee Andy Haines did not even award a free-kick, believing Hill’s challenge to be a fair one.

And the visitors appealed in vain for a penalty early in the second half when Paul Konchesky managed to thwart Lucas Joao after the Owls substitute had burst into the area.

Hill, recalled the day after his 37th birthday, had an excellent game at the back, helping his team keep only their second clean sheet in the league this term.

Even so, under-fire head coach Chris Ramsey was again barracked by the frustrated home fans, particularly when he replaced lone striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas with Leroy Fer with 21 minutes remaining.

Ramsey’s side, currently without injured striker Charlie Austin, have won only one of their last seven matches.

This was their first match since Neil Warnock returned to the club in a part-time advisory role, although the former Rangers manager did not attend the game.

Their best chance to break the deadlock fell to Matt Phillips, who cleverly drifted in from the right only to fire over with just keeper Keiran Westwood to beat midway through the second half.

Westwood then produced a crucial save to deny Tjaronn Chery at the far post after the Dutchman had been found by Phillips’ right-wing cross.

Chery had earlier met Sandro’s volleyed diagonal pass with a crisp volley of his own, but his effort went wide of the near post.

Wednesday, whose clean sheet was only their second in 11 away matches, created the odd chance too.

Barry Bannan blazed wastefully wide of the target in the first half after cutting inside Nedum Onuoha.

The lively Joao went close late on when he headed wide from Ross Wallace’s right-wing corner.

And Bannan missed another opportunity in injury time, again shooting well wide after creating space for himself.