Remy scores but Cole denies Rangers

West Ham 1 QPR 1

Club-record signing Loic Remy scored on his QPR debut but they were denied victory by the one that got away.

Joe Cole, who chose to return to West Ham rather than join Harry Redknapp at Rangers, got his first goal since re-signing for the east London club, earning them a deserved point.

Striker Remy put his new team ahead, beating the offside trap to race on to Adel Taarabt’s clever pass before calmly firing past keeper Jussy Jaaskelainen.

Earlier, Rangers keeper Julio Cesar saved from point-blank range to thwart Kevin Nolan.

After going behind the home side responded with a spell of pressure and felt they should have been awarded a penalty on the half-hour mark.

Clint Hill appeared to hold back Marouane Chamakh, who wriggled away from him and then went down under a challenge from Shaun Wright-Phillips.

West Ham continued to press after the break, with Cesar keeping out two Chamakh headers and an unmarked Nolan heading wide.

Cesar also did well to keep out an effort from Matt Taylor before seeing Nolan again miss the target from inside the box.

An equaliser seemed inevitable and eventually arrived on 68 minutes, when Cole tapped in the loose ball after Cesar had parried substitute Carlton Cole’s header.

Cole almost netted again with five minutes remaining.

The former England star rounded Cesar before seeing his shot cleared off the line by Fabio.

QPR (4-4-1-1): Cesar; Onuoha, Nelsen, Hill, Fabio; Mackie (Bothroyd 67), Derry, Mbia, Wright-Phillips (Traore 58); Taarabt (Park 81); Remy.
Subs not used: Green, Ferdinand, Hoilett, Faurlin.

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