West Brom 2 QPR 2 - Report
A howler from goalkeeper Josh Griffiths gifted QPR an equaliser as lacklustre Albion were pegged back by the Championship strugglers.
Carlos Corberan's hosts raced into a 2-0 lead while fan group Action for Albion staged their 12th-minute walk-in protest but from then on unravelled and looked bereft of conviction.
Lyndon Dykes headed in midway through the first half to reduce the advantage handed to the Baggies by Brandon Thomas-Asante and Semi Ajayi.
But Griffiths, 21, failed to control an Erik Pieters backpass four minutes after the interval and his clearance cannoned in off Chris Martin.
The hopelessly out-of-form Rs were the better side after falling two goals down in the 13th minute and went inches from a late winner on a couple of occasions. One end of a rainbow briefly appeared late on inside a nervy Hawthorns full of angst with Baggies everywhere wondering where their pot of gold will appear from.
Albion, whose fans jeered the final whistle, slip to 11th but remain five points adrift of sixth.
Corberan introduced winger Marc Albrighton for striker Daryl Dike as Albion reverted to the usual 4-2-3-1 having started both centre-forwards Dike and Thomas-Asante at Rotherham.
The other real surprise in the hosts' squad was a place for Jayson Molumby on the substitute's bench. Molumby injured his groin on Republic of Ireland duty a couple of weeks ago but came through training ahead of billed.
Kyle Bartley was missing from the matchday as precaution having felt an issue with his hamstring on Friday. Okay Yokuslu was not ready to return having been given an outside chance of featuring.
Gareth Ainsworth rotated things in his ranks after Friday's miserable home defeat to Preston, a ninth in 10 games for the Rs. Luke Amos, Albert Adomah and Martin came into their side.
Albrighton had already fired a note of waring from distance after good work from Jed Wallace but QPR had barely got off the team bus.
And with protesting home fans still outside the visitors paid for a stark sluggishness at the back as Thomas-Asante opened the scoring from John Swift's wicked set-piece delivery.
Swift's free-kick from the left cut through the box and was bundled in by the striker at the back post from just a couple of yards out. The former Salford frontman just let the ball hit him for his first Championship goal since Boxing Day.
Driving wind and rain greeted those inside the stadium and it rained goals too. Just three minutes later Corberan's hosts had a second through Ajayi, who responded from his Good Friday nightmare with a first goal of the season.
Again QPR were undone by a dead ball, which went uncleared from the right. Albrighton, from the right byline, delivered a low cross for Swift, whose low strike was well saved by Seny Dieng - but statuesque away defenders did nothing to clear.
Ajayi's first sniff, totally unmarked, looked over the line but the Nigerian made sure with his second attempt.
But, frustratingly for an edgy and nervy home crowd, Albion allowed the confidence-sapped visitors to find their feet.
The Baggies themselves lacked composure and confidence in their play. A makeshift midfield of Nathaniel Chalobah and Taylor Gardner-Hickman in particular struggled to wrestle control as QPR won every battle. Albion looked like a team without their spine of Dara O'Shea, Molumby and Yokuslu.
It was no surprise when Dykes sent a fine header across and in beyond Griffiths from Ilias Chair's excellent delivery.
That only increased the nerves as Albion passes both short and long struggled to find their targets.
The hosts did, somewhat against the run of play, force a strike at goal through Wallace from distance before captain Conor Townsend dragged a presentable opening wide across goal.
Ainsworth's side might have equalised on the stroke of half-time but Jimmy Dunne's header from a corner was inches wide.
A nightmare start to the second half for both Albion and Griffiths encapsulated fortunes.
Pieters' backpass to Griffiths, on the edge of the D, signalled little danger. But Griffiths' first touch was poor and cannoned into his standing leg. A subsequent rushed clearance struck Martin and rolled into the empty net.
A sheepish Griffiths wanted the ground to swallow him up. There was no support or consoling the 21-year-old from experienced colleagues.
The Baggies were let off as QPR broke from a corner and Martin scuppered a simple pass to play in Chair.
Neither side were flying with confidence. The introduction of Tom Rogic and Karlan Grant and latterly Dike and Molumby did little to help. Martin pulled wide for the Hoops before Grant did likewise for Albion with a tame effort.
Hoops subs Taylor Richards and Andre Dozzell went inches wide with a header and volley respectively. There only looked like one winner - a damning indictment on Albion.
Teams
Albion (4-2-3-1): Griffiths; Furlong, Ajayi, Pieters, Townsend (c); Gardner-Hickman (Rogic, 61), Chalobah (Molumby, 76); Wallace, Swift, Albrighton (Grant, 62); Thomas-Asante (Dike, 76).
Subs not used: Palmer, Ingram, Andrews.
QPR (3-4-1-2): Dieng; Dunne, Dickie, Balogun; Adomah (Lowe, 71), Field, Amos (Dozzell, 83), Paal; Chair (Richards, 83); Martin (c), Dykes.
Subs not used: Archer, Johansen, Willock, Laird.
Attendance: 23,969 (1,231 QPR fans)
Referee: Matthew Donohue
