QPR 2-2 Stoke City
A brilliant bending free-kick two minutes from time was reward for Niko Kranjcar and a deserved draw for battling Rangers.
The midfielder was on the end of a pair of brutal tackles from Ryan Shawcross and Steve Sidwell, but picked up his battered body to smash home the leveller.
QPR fans were asked to stand up if they 'hate' Mark Hughes - but it was a former hero who nearly buried the knife in their back.
Peter Crouch crashed the ball home to put the Potters back in front while Rs former manager remained planted on his seat in quiet celebration.
Former Stoke player Karl Henry reckoned the team should be judged not by what happened at Old Trafford last Sunday, but on games like these.
If that's the case, this is going to be a tough campaign.
The gamble to start both Chile World Cup players backfired, as did naming Joey Barton and Jordon Mutch in the starting line-up. Both were carrying hamstring strains; both were substituted long before the end.
Eduardo Vargas barely touched the ball, and his pal Mauricio Isla took one too many when robbed at the corner flag to set up the goal for Crouch.
Of course, the giant striker had to play the pivotal part in Stoke's opening goal. Rising highest to meet Victor Moses's chipped cross he put it on a plate for Mame Biram Diouf to head home from a yard.
The man wanted by Harry Redknapp in the summer, and brought on by Rangers a decade back, should have made it two as he plundered the wide open spaces, aka the QPR defence.
But he had a foot in the equaliser, literally, when he and Charlie Adam stuck out despairing boots, but only succeed in sending Steven Caulker's header from a corner into the roof of the net.
In truth, it was a frustrating half for Hoops after constantly meeting a wall of red around the Stoke box, and leaving gaps aplenty at the other end.
The gamble to play Joey Barton backfired just after half an hour, when his suspect hamstring presumably gave way and brought Matt Phillips off the bench.
Isla's gaffe handed Crouch the chance to rifle home Moses's centre left-footed from 10 yards that left Green no chance.
Steven N'Zonzi should have buried a chance not long after, but with the Rs defence all over the place, the Stoke midfielder side footed over.
Fer's late header at the back post should have tested Asmir Begovic more, but Kranjcar gave the keeper not a snowball's chance in hell with his late strike.
Green; Ferdinand, Caulker, Traore; Isla, Barton (Phillips 34), Mutch (Henry 50), Fer, Kranjcar; Vargas (Zamora 70), Austin; subs not used; McCarthy, Onuoha, Dunne, Hoilett
