QPR must hope West Brom incident doesn't come back to haunt them: View | OneFootball

Every point is a prisoner when you’re fighting at the bottom of the league, and Queens Park Rangers will be livid if Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion comes back to haunt them at the end of the season.

The R’s are embroiled in a relegation battle at the bottom of the Championship as it stands, with a cluster of eight teams separated by just two points from 23rd to 16th.

And they would have been set to leapfrog themselves above many of their competitors in the clash with the Baggies, only for a refereeing decision costing them what would have been three vital points.

Cedric Kipre handball missed by officials as West Brom defender escapes red

In what had already been an up-and-down encounter at Loftus Road, QPR were back on the attack after the visitors had come from behind to put themselves into a 2-1 lead at the break.

Sam Field had put the hosts in front early on in Wednesday’s affair, only for a quick fire from Mikey Johnston and Grady Diangana putting Carlos Corberan’s men into the lead before the half-hour mark.

Six minutes into the second-half controversy struck, as Field’s header looked destined for the top corner, only for Kipre to reach out a hand and tip the ball over the bar; the kind of save number one Alex Palmer would have been proud of.

The Ivory Coast international’s goalkeeping heroics were missed by referee Geoff Eltringham as well as his officiating team, meaning the Hoops were denied a penalty and a red card for the Albion defender.

With over half an hour of the game still to play momentum would have switched back to the R’s, and a precious three points could have been their’s and lifted them as high as 16th spot, putting three points between them and the bottom three.

Instead, the hosts were reliant on Field again to drag them level nine minutes from time with another header; all of this after Michael Frey’s penalty had been saved at the start of the second stanza.

Although his team were potentially robbed of all three points, QPR boss Marti Cifuentes was very gracious in his post-match comments.

He said: "I've been told that West Brom played with two keepers for a while.

"I'm not here to complain. I'm here to make sure my team is better, so if we need to play against two keepers then we need to practice playing against two keepers.

"Football is a game with mistakes and unfortunately refs can make mistakes as well. They have a very difficult job - the second most difficult job, after being a manager.

"On the pitch I thought their keeper made an amazing save - I mean the real keeper. That shows you how difficult the referee's job is. I was shown it afterwards."

Queens Park Rangers’ Championship run-in

Cifuentes and his Rangers side will need to continue their recent run which has seen them pick up 10 points from their last 12 available if they are going to avoid the drop this season, starting with the visit of Middlesbrough at the weekend.

A trip to Sunderland follows, before a run of crucial clashes against relegation rivals, with Swansea City, Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle all in their sights in the coming weeks.

A tricky last four matches against promotion chasing Hull City, Preston North End and Leeds United follow, before ending their campaign against Coventry City.

With things as tight as they are at the bottom of the table every match from here on in will be crucial, and if the Hoops are to be relegated, they will be looking at Wednesday’s decision as a major factor in why they don’t have more points on the board.

Championship survival is very much in their own hands as it stands though, which isn't something you could have said about this side for much of the campaign, but with Cifuentes working wonders, the R's have as much chance as any of beating the drop.