Match Report

Simon Cox got West Bromwich Albion out of jail with an equaliser in the final minute of added time to deny Queens Park Rangers a morale boosting win.

Albion looked to be heading for their second successive defeat when a 57th minute own goal from Jonas Olsson and a header from Kaspars Gorkss five minutes later gave Rangers a two goal lead.

But Jerome Thomas started the Albion fight-back with a neat 67th minute finish and Cox finished it off in the third minute
of added time from close range with his fifth goal in five games.

Rangers had gone into the match with youth team coaches Marc Bircham and Steve Gallen in charge after manager Jim Magilton was suspended for an alleged bust-up with midfielder Akos Buzsaky.

They were far from their best in the first-half but were a different proposition after a pep talk from Bircham and Gallen and looked set to pull off their first win in five games

But battling Albion refused to lie down and their point saw them close the gap on leaders Newcastle United to seven points and move three points clear of Cardiff City and Nottingham Forest.

Second placed Albion should really have been in control by half-time only to be frustrated by goalkeeper Radek Cerny who denied Cox, Thomas and Joe Mattock.

Rangers then stunned Albion when the luckless Albion skipper Olsson headed Ben Watson's corner into his own net while under pressure from Gorkss.

That signalled an amazing five minute spell for Rangers with Adel Taarabt seeing his 25 yard drive tipped on to the post by Dean Kiely before Gorkss doubled their advantage.

There was a touch of good fortune about this goal as well after Watson again caused chaos in the Albion area with a dipping free-kick.

Kiely got down low to palm the ball out but it bounced off Mattock and into the path of Gorkss who had the simple task of heading into an empty net.

Having scored two scrappy goals themselves it was somewhat ironic that Rangers then saw Albion grab a lifeline with a goal
that owed more to a couple of lucky bounces than any skilful play.

Chris Brunt nodded a deep cross back across the face of goal and Chris Wood and Cox both took a swipe at the ball before it eventually found it ways to Thomas to finally beat Cerny with a powerful low drive.

Albion launched a late onslaught but looked destined to miss out on an equalisers when Gianni Zuiverloon headed wide and Cerny tipped Cox's shot over the bar.

But there was nothing that Cerny could do when he palmed out Chris Wood's 18 yard drive and Cox pounced on the rebound.

Corners

Fouls

Goal attempts

Shots off target

Offsides