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Match Report

QPR snatch Villa draw

09/25/2011 05:50:04 PM

Queens Park Rangers snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw with Aston Villa thanks to an injury-time own goal by Richard Dunne.

Barry Bannan looked to have secured all three points for Villa with a second-half penalty before Dunne salvaged a point for Neil Warnock's men.

The equaliser was the first goal that the home side had scored at Loftus Road since returning to the Premier League.

The penalty came in controversial circumstances, as QPR defender Armand Traore was adjudged to have brought down Gabriel Agbonlahor, giving Bannan the opportunity to claim his first EPL goal.

Just five minutes in, QPR created a golden opportunity when Adel Taarabt unleashed a curling strike that smashed off of Shay Given's left-hand post and away from danger.

QPR continued to press, with Shaun Wright-Phillips finding Taarabt in the box, but the Moroccan's strike was cleared by James Collins for a corner.

The one-way traffic continued at Loftus Road, with Jay Bothroyd being the next QPR player to watch his effort go wide as the former Cardiff City striker got his head on a free-kick from Joey Barton, but the effort went wide of Given's goal.

With just over five minutes left in the half, the visitors had their first chance of the game as a Stilian Petrov corner from the right bounced around the front post area, but unfortunately for Aston Villa the ball went tamely into the arms of QPR keeper Paddy Kenny.

Just before the break, the best chance of the half came from the visitors after Anton Ferdinand had fouled Gabriel Agbonlahor on the edge of the area.

That allowed Bannan to try his luck from a free-kick, but Kenny dived to his left to stretch out his arm and clear the ball away.

Aston Villa started the second half better than they did the first, and with 10 minutes gone they were awarded a penalty as referee Michael Oliver adjudged that Traore had fouled Agbonlahor inside the box.

Bannan made no mistake from the spot to give the visitors the lead.

QPR had an opportunity to get back on level terms after they were awarded a free-kick just outside the area but Alejandro Faurlin could not make anything of it, pulling the ball well over the bar.

Warnock's side continued to press forward in search of the equaliser, bringing on forward Heidar Helguson to replace midfield player Shaun Derry in a desperate act to claim their first home goal of the season.

The pressure continued with a number of free-kicks coming the way of the home side from close range, but both Barton and DJ Campbell wasted their efforts to get Rangers back on level terms.

Then with a minute left Traore's day went from bad to worse as the full-back dived in on substitute Marc Albrighton deep inside the Aston Villa half, allowing Oliver to show the Frenchman a second yellow card to go with the one he picked up while giving away the penalty.

Deep into injury-time the home side finally got level as a cross from Heidar Helguson cannoned off Dunne and eventually went in, to give QPR their first goal at Loftus Road and a valuable point at the end.

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images

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