Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Huddersfield Town: Kenneth Paal hits late leveller in relegation battle

QPR remain three points behind Huddersfield and in the bottom three, with the Terriers a place above them in 21st

Kenneth Paal struck a 95th-minute equaliser for QPR to earn his side a 1-1 draw with Huddersfield in a bottom-of-the-table Championship clash at Loftus Road.

Jack Rudoni had broken the deadlock in the 86th minute for Huddersfield and looked to have earned all three points for the visitors after a scrappy game with limited clear-cut chances.

Rhys Healey had two efforts for Huddersfield in the first half, while Michal Helik's two headers were as close as the Terriers got after the break before Rudoni's effort.

Elijah Dixon-Bonner fired a shot narrowly wide for the hosts earlier in the second half, while Tom Lees somehow shot over his own bar from close range as the Rs chased an equaliser in the closing moments before Paal found the net.

The result means third-bottom QPR remain three points behind the Terriers, while Huddersfield's winless league run stretches to five games.

• Relive QPR's draw with Huddersfield as it happened

Dubbed as a relegation six-pointer before the game, both sides were clearly up for the fight in a feisty, stop-start first half that saw more players go into referee Stephen Martin's book (three) than shots on target (two) and 21 fouls.

Town forward Healey narrowly sent a header over the bar from a Sorba Thomas corner, while the single chance for QPR came after Chris Willock broke down the right to pick out Ilias Chair in the box, only for the forward to hit a relatively tame shot straight at keeper Lee Nicholls.

Healey had another shot blocked inside the box shortly before the break by an outstretched Jake Clarke-Salter, after Rudoni and Brodie Spencer linked up down the wing.

Town kept up the pressure and Helik had two headers off target, while Clarke-Salter back-tracked quickly to deny Rudoni a shot on goal.

QPR almost went in front with 15 minutes left when substitute Dixon-Bonner pounced on a loose Terriers ball outside the box but curled his shot the wrong side of the post from 20 yards out.

With four minutes left Rudoni appeared to have won it as he slotted into the corner past Asmir Begovic when the ball broke kindly to him from Radinio Balker's blocked attempt.

QPR responded well and Town defender Lees somehow sent the ball over his own bar from a few yards out.

But Paal sent the Loftus Road crowd euphoric deep in stoppage time, scruffily bundling in a cross from Chair at the far post to rescue a point.

QPR manager Marti Cifuentes told BBC Radio London:

"We knew about the importance of the game, it was a six-pointer game. To be down that late in the game but still the guys had the courage, the bravery to keep pushing. It was very important to get the draw but after the goal we still had a couple of situations in the box to try to get the win.

"It was not a good performance today, it was not a good football game today in my eyes. It was very difficult for us to beat the pressure of Huddersfield, they were extremely aggressive and when they could they just stopped the game.

"It was difficult for us to have good momentum. I think it is an asset in a game like this where you are not playing well to have the capacity to not lose and pick up some points. It is a step into the right direction."

Huddersfield manager Darren Moore told BBC Radio Leeds:

"The boys are in the dressing room, they're OK, disappointed to concede a goal right at the end. The goal was very fortuitous in terms of how it's hit the lad's leg and gone in but that's football and it's small margins.

"In terms of the display and performance, I thought it was another positive performance. We all agreed we came here today and set our stall out to get the three points and I thought the boys went about it in the right manner. Pulsating game on a quick pitch, end to end, I don't think Lee [Nicholls] had much to do in terms of the game.

"When you score the goal and Jack Rudoni arrives in the box like he did it's just about the concentration.

"We certainly feel it was two points dropped after dominating the game."