Blackpool 2 QPR 2

Last updated : 17 January 2010 By The_Seasiders

Queens Park Rangers put their off-pitch troubles behind them to twice come from behind and earn a hard-fought point with a 2-2 draw at Blackpool.

Manager Mick Harford - QPR's tenth boss, including caretakers, in the past two-and-a-half-years - was delighted with his side's performance in the second half.

The visitors struggled in the opening period however thanks to Blackpool's fluid passing play which allowed them to completely dominate large periods of the game.

Brett Ormerod and Gary Taylor-Fletcher combined superbly on the left wing to give defender Fitz Hall a torrid time.

On nine minutes Ormerod turned Hall inside and out and crossed to the far post where unmarked Blackpool captain Charlie Adam slotted home into the roof of the net for his tenth and easist goal of the season.

Adam could have had a hat-trick just three minutes later firing two chances wide.

The visitors' Adel Taarabt, on-loan from Tottenham, pushed his side on and gradually Rangers crept back into the game without troubling Rachubka. He went close on 35 minutes following a series of step-overs but his powerful shot went across the face of goal.

The Egyptian had to wait until the second half to get on to the scoresheet which he did from the penalty spot.

Alejandro Faurlin's cross was deflected into Alex Baptiste's elbow and, despite the lack of appeals for a penalty, the ref pointed to the spot much to the Seasiders annoyance.

The spirited home side fought back however and Taylor-Fletcher thought he had won the game on 77 minutes when he deflected Keith Southern's low drive past keeper Carl Ikeme.

But Blackpool even though they should have been out of sight in this encounter they had to be happy with a share of the points thanks to a rather flukey but well hit 84th-minute equaliser from defender Matthew Connolly who probably couldn't believe his eyes.

He was fully 25 yards out in space when he sent an innocuous up and under which somehow carried itself beyond the outstretched arm of keeper Paul Rachubka. "If the ball had been hit correctly the effort most likely would have been saved by Rachuka" claimed an agrieved Gary Taylor-Fletcher in a post match interview. Just to add to Pool's woes this goal was Connolly's first for QPR and first for ten years.

More worrying for the Seasiders that in the first league game in weeks the 7.600 attendance with President Valerie Belekon in attendance was frankly woeful for a team on the verge of the play-offs.