QPR were on course for a fabulous third win on the trot until Eoin Doyle headed a gutting Preston equaliser in the second minute of added time.

It was practically the only real shot on target by a poor home side, with Rangers asking all the questions thanks to a Sebastian Polter header in the first five minutes.

Referee Andy Woolmer won no friends with a clutch of strange decisions that should have included a red card for Preston defender Tom Clarke for a goal-denying foul on Tjaronn Chery.

The Rs midfielder might have wrapped it up 90 seconds later, but saw the chance saved by keeper Anders Lindegaard.

Earlier, it was hooped joy when Ale Faurlin swung in a corner for Polter to convert a free downward header.

Fifteen minutes later, he nearly made it 2-0 but a second header had no one in away red and back to pick up the pieces.

Sure, it's getting close to Easter - but the amount of crosses then delivered into the Rs box bordered on the ridiculous as Rs defender deeper and deeper.

Six corners came and went, with brave Clint Hill and James Perch headers making sure Hoops hung on to their precious lead.

Once the danger passed, that man Polter was in the thick of things. His shot across goal just past the hour caused mayhem in the Preston box, and it needed a home block to keep out Faurlin's follow-up.

Hoilett then had a dig from distance, but this time it was straight at the overworked Lindegaard.

Ref Woolmer then took unwitting centre stage when he showed Clarke a yellow card instead of the deserved red that left mouths agape all over Deepdale.

Chery's miss proved costly. And the one final Preston cross that mattered put a huge dent in Rs thin hopes of a play-off place.

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