Stoke City boss Mark Hughes was just two minutes away from clinching a deserved winning return to QPR today.
A wonderful late free-kick from Niko Kranjcar rescued a point for the Rs in an entertaining 2-2 draw at Loftus Road.
Hughes made two changes after their surprise 1-0 defeat at home to Leicester City, with midfielder Charlie Adam and Mame Biram Diouf in ahead of Bojan Krkic and the injured Jonathan Walters.
Rs boss Harry Redknapp made four changes after their humbling at Manchester United. In came, Armand Traore, Eduardo Vargas, Joey Barton and Jordan Mutch - out went Clint Hill, Junior Hoilett, Sandro and Matt Phillips.
Vargas set the tone for a high-paced and entertaining game in the first minute, getting on the end some crisp QPR passing across the flanks before hitting his snapshot straight at Potters goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
Then on 11 minutes, Diouf struck first for Stoke, guiding in his header after Peter Crouch had out-jumped the lumbering Rio Ferdinand to guide down Victor Moses' cross. It was the on-loan Chelsea winger who inspired the goal, taunting the Rs defenders with a clever run before lifting his cross for Crouch to challenge. Diouf came bustling in late to head home from close range.
Minutes later, Moses was at it again, firing low only for Rs keeper Robert Green to save.
With ten minutes to run before halftime, Joey Barton was forced off with injury for the hosts and was replaced by Phillips. Then, on 42 minutes, Steven Caulker managed a scrappy equaliser for QPR. Jordan Mutch's corner was met by Caulker and his downward header could not be cleared off the line despite Adam and Crouch being there for that very job.
The two teams went into the break with the scores locked at 1-1.
Just six minutes into the second-half and Stoke were ahead - again thanks to Moses and Crouch.
Moses went past Mauricio Isla and Karl Henry before squaring a low cross to an unmarked Crouch, who thundered his shot home.
Crouch was left completely clear by Ferdinand, who later began complaining at teammate Steven Caulker after a mis-control.
QPR were struggling to keep their shape, with Moses and Diouf's pace exposing the pedestrian Ferdinand at the back.
Diouf was full of confidence throughout the 90 minutes and he came close with a quarter of an hour to run, making a spectacular overhead strike that went just wide.
Leroy Fer came close for QPR on 83 minutes, getting on the end of a Kranjcar free-kick, only to be denied at the near post by Begovic.
But it was the Croatian who saved the day for QPR.
A superb free-kick was swerved and dipped by Kranjcar beyond Begovic on 88 minutes to rescue a point for the hosts and deny Stoke and Hughes a deserved away win.
