QPR 2 West Brom 3 - Report and pictures

It may not have been as emphatic as the 7-1 at The Hawthorns back in August, but it was just as important, particularly after being pegged back twice.

Jefferson Montero scored with his first touch of the game five minutes in before Luke Freeman levelled the score ten minutes before the break.

Jacob Murphy looked to have won it on the hour mark with his second goal in three games, but Tomer Hemed became the first person to score a penalty pass Sam Johnstone this season with 15 minutes to go.

It looked like Albion were going to rue their mistakes agai, having gifted both goals to Rangers - the team with the worst Championship record in 2019.

But the Baggies lifted the Championship title at this ground in 2008, and thanks to Livermore's late winner, they took a huge step towards the automatic promotion spots this season at the same venue.

Darren Moore made three changes to the team that cruised past Villa, bringing Sam Field and Stefan Johansen into midfield and handing Jefferson Montero his first start for the Baggies.

And the Swansea loanee got off to a blistering start, sweeping home his first goal for Albion with his first touch of the match.

When Mason Holgate slipped Jay Rodriguez in behind, the striker backheeled the ball deftly to Jacob Murphy, whose shot could only be palmed back into danger by Rangers keeper Joe Lumley.

Montero pounced, crashing home from eight yards out to give the Baggies the perfect start and their seventh goal in 42 minutes of football against QPR after striking six in the final 37 minutes at The Hawthorns.

Albion were controlling most of the possession and their wide men were finding plenty of space when QPR's wing-backs pushed forward, but a whipped delivery from Nahki Wells that nearly found the in-form Matt Smith served as a warning.

The hosts started to enjoy a spell of pressure, but this team has not conceded on the road in any of their last four games, and towering headers from their two centre-backs were keeping the Hoops at bay.

Lumley nearly gifted the Baggies another goal shortly before the half-hour, when he gifted Jay Rodriguez possession on the byline with a comical airkick.

But the keeper atoned for error immediately, slide-tackling Albion's top scorer as he tried to round him on the outside.

Rodriguez had another chance soon after when Jake Livermore lofted a perfectly-weighted ball over the Rangers backline for him, but he couldn't gather it in his path and Lumley cleared.

But the Baggies have been guilty of giving goals away in recent weeks and ten minutes before half-time, they did it again.

When Johansen dallied on the ball in midfield, Massimon Luongo robbed him of possession and QPR raced away.

Luongo played it to Wells, who played it onto Luke Freeman, who rifled a shot in off Sam Johnstone's near post to draw the teams level.

The game was enjoyably open, with both teams flooding forward. Albion responded with a bursting run into the box from left-back Kieran Gibbs, but his right-footed shot was beaten away.

But QPR ended the half strongly and had a strong penalty shout waved awayt when Luongo went down under Dawson's challenge before hitting the top of the bar with a looping header from a corner.

The second half started with Murphy whipping a dangerous ball across the six yard box, but nobody in yellow and green gambled on the delivery.

Wells nearly curled a shot inside Johnstone's far post from range, before Pawel Wszolek did similar.

Albion looked jaded, and in need of some fresh impetus, so Moore sent Rekeem Harper on for the goalscorer and put the 18-year-old in the same false nine he played against Villa.

But it was Murphy who produced a moment of brilliance on the hour mark to put the Baggies back in the lead.

Livermore's lob forward was pretty aimless, but so was the headed clearance.

It fell straight to Murphy, who still had three defenders in front of him, but he burst passed them before lasering a shot into the far corner for his second goal in three games.

Moore brought Gareth Barry on for the disappointing Johansen shortly afterwards to try and see the game out.

But 15 minutes from time, Albion were pegged back again, and this time, it was from the spot.

The danger seemed to have been averted before Hemed flicked the ball over Dawson and back into the box.

Albion's centre-back raised his foot and even though it looked soft, the referee pointed to the spot.

Hemed rolled the ball past Johnstone to score the first spot-kick he has conceded this season.

That sparked a frenetic end. Lumley saved a Murphy shot from point-blank range before Johnstone did the same against Ebere Eze.

There was the welcome return from injury of Matt Phillips with 10 minutes to go, and he was booed by the fans of his former club.

Both Murphy and Phillips whistled deflected shots just wide of the post as the Baggies searched for a late winner.

And then, in the fourth minute of injury time, it finally came.

An outrageous dragged backheel flick from Harper sent Holgate clear down the right and he pulled it back to Livermore to sweep home in front of the away end.

It moves the Baggies within one point of the top two ahead of two crucial promotion six-pointers against Sheffield United and Leeds.

Albion are making their move.

KEY MOMENTS

05 GOAL ALBION - Montero scores with his first touch.

35 GOAL QPR - Freeman capitalises on a Johansen error in midfield.

43 Penalty shout for QPR when Luongo goes down under Dawson's challenge is waved away.

61 GOAL ALBION - Murphy lasers a shot into the bottom corner after QPR fail to clear their lines.

75 GOAL QPR - Hemed slots home a penalty.

90+4 GOAL ALBION - Livermore sweeps home a winner deep into injury time.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Ahmed Hegazi - A rock at the back throughout.

POSITION IN THE TABLE

4th - with 60 points from 33 games.

TEAMS

QPR (3-5-2): Lumley; Furlong, Lynch, Leistner; Wszolek (Osayi-Samuel 70), Cousins, Freeman, Luongo, Bidwell; Wells (Hemed 70), Smith (Eze 45).

Unused subs: Ingram, Scowen, Manning, Kakay.

Albion (4-3-3): Johnstone; Holgate, Dawson, Hegazi, Gibbs; Livermore, Field (Phillips 80), Johansen (Barry 64); Murphy, Rodriguez, Montero (Harper 57).

Unused subs: Bond, Bartley, Adarabioyo, Edwards.

Referee: John Brooks

Attendance: 12,257 (1,492 away)