QPR and Sheff Wed inched a step nearer towards Championship survival after a 1-1 draw at Loftus Road.
Faurlin's first goal for QPR cancelled out in second half
Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday inched a step nearer towards Championship survival after a 1-1 draw at Loftus Road.
Alejandro Faurlin's first goal for QPR midway through the first half appeared set to move Neil Warnock's side on to 50 points for the season.
But the Owls hit back with 13 minutes to go as Tom Soares headed home from close range to leave his team two points outside of the bottom three.
The first half was all about Faurlin, who was a £3.5million signing of the Flavio Briatore regime back in August - since when the controversial chairman has departed along with four managers.
After a slow start, the Argentinian midfielder looks to have finally found his feet under Warnock and he broke his goal duck in style in the 23rd minute.
Damion Stewart headed a high ball down to the feet of Faurlin, who lashed a half-volley into the back of the net.
Tamas Priskin had already warmed Owls goalkeeper Lee Grant's hands with an angled drive, and he could have doubled the advantage just before the half-hour but lifted his shot over the crossbar.
Foiled
After the break the Hungarian striker, who is on loan with Rangers from Ipswich, was denied by the fingertips of Grant as he attempted an acrobatic scissor kick.
Grant was well placed to foil Faurlin as the South American looked for a second from 20 yards and Adel Taarabt's long-range effort fizzed over the top.
Wednesday finally gave Ikeme something to do when Tommy Spurr crossed from the left and James O'Connor headed straight into the Rangers keeper's arms.
But the hosts could have doubled their advantage when centre-back Kaspars Gorkss met Taarabt's corner with a powerful header which flew just wide.
Wednesday boss Alan Irvine gambled with 20 minutes left when he sent on Jermaine Johnson, who had just returned from injury, in place of the ineffective Luke Varney.
And the substitution paid off when Johnson fed Spurr and his superb left-wing cross was nodded in by Soares at the far post.
Leon Clarke should have snatched victory for Wednesday from Spurr's late free-kick but he failed to convert the chance in front of goal.
