Sam Gallagher strike sees Blackburn snatch late win over QPR
Sam Gallagher scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner as Blackburn defeated QPR 1-0 to boost their survival hopes.
The home fans had endured a frustrating afternoon of few chances and made their feelings about manager Owen Coyle clear, but Gallagher stopped those chants in their tracks in the dying moments with his 11th goal of the season.
QPR will feel aggrieved, though, as Conor Washington's header in the second half looked to have bounced over the line but the officials denied them.
The visitors created the clearest opportunities but found Jason Steele in inspired form, and after their first defeat on the road in 2017 are now only six points off the relegation places.
Rovers, meanwhile, ended a three-match winless run in the Championship and remain three points from safety.
Craig Conway replaced the injured Derrick Williams in the only change for Blackburn from the defeat against Leeds, while QPR named an unchanged side.
QPR peppered the Blackburn goal from the outset
Inside the first minute a raking cross-field ball found Washington, who squared to Jamie Mackie free inside the box but Steele pulled off a stunning low save.
Washington's dangerous cross barely a minute later just evaded Mackie and after Massimo Luongo's close-range shot was diverted for a corner, Joel Lynch saw his resulting header tipped over by Steele.
Rovers responded soon after when Conway's cross found Liam Feeney but he lashed wide.
Neither side created anything clear-cut as the half wore on, although Sam Gallagher should have done better when he met a Conway corner 12 yards out but could not find the target.
Despite their recovery from those desperate opening minutes, Blackburn's only shot on target was a Charlie Mulgrew free-kick one minute before the break but it was a comfortable height and pace for Alex Smithies.
The visitors had the first real chance of note in the second half when Washington controlled on the left of the area but proceeded to drag his effort wide.
The game's real talking point came on the hour as a long throw somehow found Washington in the area and his powerful 12-yard header bounced down off the underside of the crossbar
However, the officials ruled the ball had not crossed the line.
Blackburn went close soon after when Connor Mahoney's superb curling free-kick was prodded goalwards at the back post by Darragh Lenihan and was palmed away on the line by Smithies, who then watched Feeney scuff the rebound wide.
As the game entered the dying moments, the Blackburn fans loudly voiced their displeasure against Coyle
But in the 91st minute, Marvin Emnes delivered the perfect cross for Gallagher to half-volley home from six yards and give his under-fire boss some respite.
Source : PA
Source: PA