Austin the hero as QPR battle back against Brighton

QPR 2 Brighton 2

The fit-again Charlie Austin scored both of QPR’s goals as they came back from two down to clinch a draw in a thriller at Loftus Road.

All the goals came in an action-packed second half in which Dale Stephens’ overhead kick and Rajiv van La Parra’s long-range strike put Brighton in command.

Austin pulled a goal back and Albion were reduced to 10 men on 84 minutes when Lewis Dunk was shown a second yellow card following a reckless challenge on Alejandro Faurlin, whose corner three minutes later was headed in for the equaliser – Austin’s 10th goal of the season.

Rangers, in their second match under new manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, dominated the first half but were two down within 10 minutes of the restart.

After Dunk climbed above Gabriele Angella at the far post to head Van La Parra’s 52nd-minute corner back towards the six-yard box, Stephens nudged Sandro out of the way and showed great improvisation to hook the ball past Rob Green.

Rangers protested that Sandro had been fouled and worse followed for them three minutes later, when keeper Green was unable to react quickly enough to Van La Parra’s 35-yard shot that took a deflection off Grant Hall, allowing the ball to squirm past him and into the net.

QPR hit back on 65 minutes, with their first goal under Hasselbaink.

Matt Phillips delivered a low cross and Austin, in the starting line-up for the first time in more than a month, pounced on the loose ball following Gordon Greer’s challenge on him and smashed home.

And Austin’s equaliser rescued a deserved point for Rangers, who in the first half were denied by Inigo Calderon’s goalline clearance and might have had a penalty.

When Austin’s 21st-minute cross towards Leroy Fer ran for Phillips, the Rangers winger’s shot beat keeper David Stockdale but Calderon saved Albion.

Three minutes later, the R’s appealed in vain for a spot-kick when Austin combined nicely with Fer and saw his shot blocked by Greer’s stray arm.

Earlier, Austin, who has been nursing a calf problem, had a low effort from near the edge of the box saved by Stockdale, who also tipped over a thunderous drive from Phillips.

Rangers were then forced into a defensive change when James Perch was helped off on the quarter-hour mark after falling awkwardly as he landed following an aerial challenge on Jamie Murphy.

Hasselbaink moved Nedum Onuoha to right-back and sent on Angella, and his team continued to press, with Hall heading Faurlin’s corner over shortly before Phillips so nearly opened the scoring.

In the end it was Stephens who broke the deadlock, and a second goal soon afterwards seemed to have put the game out of QPR’s reach.

They battled on, though, and Austin had a header and a low shot saved by Stockdale before eventually reducing the deficit.

Fer and Rangers substitute Sebastian Polter headed wide before Dunk’s dismissal, but Austin made no mistake when another chance came his way.