Late equaliser denies QPR first win under Hasselbaink

Bristol City 1 QPR 1

QPR had to settle for a point after Junior Hoilett’s second goal of the campaign looked like giving new boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink his first win in charge.

The R’s looked sleepy and subdued in the first half, but they improved after the break and Hoilett rifled in from just outside the area on 56 minutes after a neat one-two with Seb Polter – who deputised for the injured Charlie Austin.

Hoilett almost added a second late on with a left footer which clipped the top of the crossbar, but Bristol City drew level 10 minutes from time when substitute Joe Bryan curled a low cross to the far post for Aaron Wilbraham to prod home.

Rangers were well short of their best before the break and lucky to go in scoreless – the late withdrawal of Austin depriving them of the potency they displayed against Brighton in midweek.

Rob Green got into trouble after being dispossessed by City striker Jonathan Kodjia and Gabriele Angella almost turned a Luke Freeman cross from the right past the QPR keeper.

Green had to be alert to ensure a low stinger from outside the area by Kodjia was palmed away and be watchful when Freeman ended a decent City move by firing straight at him.

It was half an hour before City keeper Frank Fielding was given any work to do – the lively Hoilett testing him from distance. But most of the onus was on Angella and Grant Hall to keep it scoreless.

Rangers had to improve and they did. Matt Phillips picked up a sloppy clearance to hammer powerfully from outside the area, forcing Fielding into a stretch.

And after Hoilett’s goal, Phillips almost netted after pouncing on a sloppy crossfield ball and saw his angled drive tipped away.