Blackburn 1-1 Queens Park Rangers

Hope Akpan's goal ended a run of three straight defeats for Blackburn Rovers

Hope Akpan's late equaliser earned Blackburn a draw against QPR in a tightly fought Championship encounter.

Leroy Fer opened the scoring from close range after Rovers keeper Jason Steele had missed Junior Hoilett's cross.

Sebastian Polter had a shot well saved by Steele, while Shane Duffy had a header cleared off the line for Rovers.

Both sides struggled to create chance in the second half, before poor defending allowed Akpan to head in Ben Marshall's throw-in at the far post.

Akpan's late goal, his second since joining Rovers from Reading in August, means QPR are still without a win since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was appointed as manager on 4 December.

Rangers were gifted their opening goal, as Steele left Fer the easiest of finishes when he rushed out to gather Hoilett's low cross and failed to gather in the ball.

Duffy almost gave Rovers an unlikely equaliser on the stroke of half-time, but Matt Phillips reacted quickly to stop his header from Craig Conway's corner.

The hosts rarely tested QPR keeper Joe Lumley in the second half, but the 20-year-old failed to deal with Marshall's long throw to gift Akpan an equaliser.

Blackburn manager Paul Lambert said:

"How we went down a goal, I don't know. All credit to the team, I thought the very least we deserved was to get something from it.

"I was happy with them coming back. We've had a wee bit of a hard time the last few weeks and we're playing against a good side.

"I thought it was no more than we deserved. It's a big point."

QPR manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said:

"There were so many positives that really I should only look really at those positives and we need to build from those positives. If you keep performing like that, that win will come.

"I'm not really that worried or nervous, I'm very proud of the boys and how they have performed.

"They should have got more but football is cruel, you just need to make sure that the next time it is you that does it and keep on working."