Nottingham Forest and Queens Park Rangers shared the spoils after a 2-2 draw at the City Ground.
Alberti double not enough for Sousa's men
Nottingham Forest and Queens Park Rangers shared the spoils after an entertaining 2-2 draw at the City Ground.
Chris Cohen's 66th minute header ensured Forest maintained their unbeaten home record under Billy Davies.
Rangers had looked on course for a deserved three points after a brace from Matteo Alberti had cancelled out Lewis McGugan's first-half penalty until Cohen struck.
The draw means Forest pull further away from relegation danger, while Paulo Sousa's men continue their push for the play-offs.
Paulo Sousa's philosophy on the game has clearly been imprinted on Rangers as their technical ability and neat passing shone throughout and they were looking dangerous in the attacking third.
They began brightly and almost broke the deadlock when Samuel Di Carmine's far-post volley was palmed away by Forest goalkeeper Paul Smith and Joe Heath produced a fine goalline clearance to deny a certain goal after Gavin Mahon had latched on to the rebound.
The visitors continued to dominate and almost scored again when Mikele Leigertwood's turn and shot bounced off the post and to safety following good link-up play by Di Carmine.
Forest, who lost Nathan Tyson to a head wound early in the half, struggled to make an impact when going forward, but looked set to go into the interval ahead when defender Luke Chambers got on the end of McGugan's cross and he was hauled down by Alberti.
Penalty
McGugan stepped up from 12 yards to send Lee Camp - who was on loan at the City Ground earlier in the season - the wrong way.
Rangers refused to lay down and they finally got the goal they had deserved when Alberti atoned for his error by producing a neat finish from Matthew Connolly's pinpoint cross in the third minute of added time.
The second period began in similarly enthralling fashion and QPR soon took the lead, just three minutes after the restart.
Rangers broke from a Forest attack and Wayne Routledge fed Alberti who held off Chambers' challenge to fire high past a helpless Smith.
Forest finally began to stir into action and were looking dangerous down the flanks and Chambers, in an advanced position, floated a cross in from the right and Cohen leaped above the defence and the on-rushing Camp, who felt he was pushed, to head into an empty net.
Equaliser
The visitors were not thrown off their game by Cohen's equaliser and continued to play their football in a neat and considered manner.
Despite Forest's hustle and bustle, Rangers were still looking the most likely to score again, and after Routledge had fired wide only an acrobatic save by Smith could keep out a thumping header from Leigertwood.
Sousa's men laid siege on the Forest goal in the five minutes of added time. Leigertwood was again denied by Smith from a 20-yard curler, while Dexter Blackstock headed over from 15 yards as Rangers just fell short of victory.
