QPR boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink earns point on return to Burton
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink had to settle for a point on his return to Burton as his QPR side battled back to earn a 1-1 draw in the Sky Bet Championship.
The former Burton boss was desperate to halt Rangers' four-game winless sequence at the Pirelli but in the end was glad to see his side rescue a losing situation for the second game in a row.
Jamie Ward, on loan from Nottingham Forest, gave Nigel Clough's side the breakthrough they had been looking for with a diving header after 58 minutes to finish off Lloyd Dyer's looping shot.
But Sebastian Polter, only on the field for five minutes, prodded home from 12 yards on a swift counter with 20 minutes to go.
The equaliser came as a relief to Hasselbaink as it was Rangers' first goal from open play this season and grabbed a precious point as he went in search of a first win since August.
The Rangers goal owed much to a surging run from Jake Bidwell from left-back but the former Brentford man would fail to see out the game after a nasty head injury forced him to leave the field on a stretcher.
Polter had a big influence once on the pitch and could have twice grabbed a winner with a cheeky back heel and a thundering header threatening to steal all three points inside the last 10 minutes.
That would have been harsh on Albion, who raised their game and looked set to get back to winning ways on home turf after Ward's opener.
The second half was infinitely better than a tense and nervy first half which was lacking in quality and was limited to a few sparse chances.
It was perhaps to be expected with both sides winless since the last game before the international break.
What chances did come along in the opening 45 minutes were in the main for Rangers.
Returning defender Kyle McFadzean had to produce a perfectly-timed challenge to clear Burton lines early on and Ben Turner did well to deny Pawel Wszolek at the back post after 22 minutes after good work from Conor Washington and Massimo Luongo
Jon McLaughlin, in the Burton goal, was finally tested by a curling free-kick from Tjaronn Chery after 39 minutes, a diving save punching the ball away to his left keeping the scores level
Ward's curling free kick that was deflected just wide was the best that the Brewers could muster.
Source : PA
Source: PA