Simon Cox was the West Brom hero as his last minute goal rescued a point in a 2-2 draw against QPR at The Hawthorns.
R's put off-the-field problems aside but squander lead
Simon Cox was the West Brom hero as his last minute goal rescued a point in a 2-2 draw against QPR at The Hawthorns.
The visitors came into the match shrouded in off-the-field troubles, but they shrugged off their worries to take the lead against the high-flying Baggies.
Ben Watson whipped in a corner that Kaspars Gorkss attacked, the defender forcing West Brom's Jonas Olsson to head into his own net on 56 minutes.
Four minutes later Gorkss doubled the lead after Kiely had fumbled a Watson cross.
But Jerome Thomas reduced the deficit on 67 minutes and Roberto Di Matteo's side pressed for the equaliser.
It came in the third minute of added time with Cox stealing in to smash past Radek Cerny in the R's goal to snatch a point which opens up a three point gap for the second-placed Baggies on the chasing pack.
The home side were expected to make light work of Rangers, who came into the clash without suspended manager Jim Magilton.
The London club have been in turmoil since their 3-1 defeat at Watford and youth team managers Steve Gallen and Mark Bircham were in charge for the trip to the Midlands.
Ákos Buzsáky - the centre of the controversy involving Magilton - missed out through injury, but it was clear the visitors had put their off-the-field worries to one side as they held their promotion-chasing opponents for long spells of the match.
Started better
West Brom started the better of the two sides but couldn't fashion a chance of note, Chris Brunt, Abdoulaye Meite, and Jerome Thomas all having half-chances in the opening 45-minutes.
But the visitors settled into the match and they nearly took the lead when the lively Adel Taarabt fired in a shot from 25-yards that forced a good save from Dean Kiely.
Patrick Agyemang should have done better just before half-time when he was well placed, but he dragged his shot wide as the R's went into the interval the happier of the two sides.
West Brom came flying out of the traps in the second-half, piling the pressure on.
Brunt tested Cerny with a fierce drive and then Graham Dorrans nearly went through but he was denied by Gorkss' saving tackle.
The defender was then to be involved at the other end as his side took a shock lead.
Taarabt caused the hosts no end of problems throughout and his deflected shot won a corner.
Watson whipped it in, and under the watchful eye of the advancing Gorkss, Olsson looped a header over his own keeper to hand Rangers the lead.
Dominated
Taarabt then nearly doubled his side's lead immediately after, the on-loan Spurs midfielder firing a shot off the crossbar.
Replays showed Kiely got a hand to the left-foot drive, a save which kept his side in the match.
QPR took control and didn't have to wait long for their second goal, Gorkss once again involved when he headed home on 60 minutes.
Di Matteo needed an immediate response from his side and he brought on Chris Wood to give his side more impetus up-front.
It was Thomas who made the difference though, the winger pouncing on a lose ball from 10-yards to fire under Cerny.
QPR nearly made the win safe straight after Thomas' goal, Wayne Routledge cutting inside and curling a shot that brought another excellent save from Kiely.
West Brom escaped and dominated thereafter, throwing everything at the Rangers back-four.
Gorkss and Damion Stewart looked to have led their side to a much-needed win, but they were denied right at the death.
With three minutes of added time elapsed, Cerny fumbled a shot and it fell to Cox, who slotted it home to send the Baggies' fans into raptures and send Rangers home with a point.
