Hatters miss the chance to climb out of the relegation zone with QPR draw

Luton missed the chance to take a giant leap towards Championship safety after being held to a 1-1 draw by QPR this evening.

The Hatters had looked to be on their way to ending the night outside the bottom three for the first time since December, leading at the break through James Collins' penalty.

However, QPR belied their poor form since the season restarted to dominate large swathes of the second half, eventually grabbing a deserved point through Dominic Ball's equaliser.

Town were unchanged for the clash after beating Huddersfield Town 2-0 on Friday night, going into the game knowing they could climb out of the relegation zone with victory, particularly as third bottom Hull City had been hammered an astonishing 8-0 by Wigan Athletic.

After an even opening 15 minutes, Hatters started to get on to the front foot, enjoying an excellent period of possession, taking the lead with one marvellous passing move that involved almost the entire team.

It ended with Luke Berry dinking a lovely ball over defence for James Bree of all people who had made a run from right back, felled in the act of shooting by Ryan Manning.

Collins stepped up to send Joe Lumley the wrong way, sidefooting into the corner for his 13th of the season.

A second almost arrived just before the drinks break, Collins slamming over a low cross and Elliot Lee just unable to turn it home at the far post.

QPR finally had a moment of threat just before the half hour, Bright Osayi-Samuel's effort drawing a fine sliding block by captain Sonny Bradley, while Ben Amos couldn't direct his header on target.

The visitors kept up the pressure, Eberechi Eze's effort deflecting behind for a corner which was taken quickly, Osayi-Samuel's fierce drive excellently repelled by Simon Sluga.

Town's Croatian international then got everything behind Ilias Chair's daisycutter from range as Hatters managed to contain their opponents and even created a chance to add a second their own before the break, Lee curling straight at Lumley.

Luton thought they had a second straight after the interval, Dan Potts, on his 150th appearance for Town, heading home Bree's corner, but it was disallowed for holding inside the area.

QPR then heaped on the pressure, Town just about digging in to stay ahead, Potts vital at the other end to prevent Sluga facing a further test.

The keeper was called upon again, palming Yoann Barbet's header away from Ryan Manning's free kick as visiting attacker Osayi-Samuel began to run the show with his direct running from deep, one such burst seeing Eze slam over the top.

The goal that had been coming, did eventually arrive on 65 minutes when a Luton break on the left was transferred to the other end, and for once Cameron Carter-Vickers couldn't halt the run of Osayi-Samuel, his ball slammed home by Dominic Ball.

Luton almost fell behind on 75 minutes, Sluga somehow spilling a cross after getting in a tangle with Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, the ball just about bouncing the wrong side of the post.

Jones made a triple sub with eight minutes to go, George Moncur, Danny Hylton and Kazenga LuaLua on as they came so close to winning it, Hylton's drilled cross met by Potts, denied by an excellent Lumley stop.

Sluga then ensured the Hatters did leave with what could be a crucial point to their name though, palming away Chair's low attempt, as Town will do it all over again at third bottom Hull on Saturday.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, James Bree, Dan Potts, Sonny Bradley (C), Cameron Carter-Vickers, Andrew Shinnie (George Moncur 83), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Luke Berry, Elliot Lee (Martin Cranie 66), Harry Cornick (Kazenga LuaLua 83), James Collins (Danny Hylton 83).

Subs not used: James Shea, Jacob Butterfield, Peter Kioso, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Callum McManaman.

Rangers: Joe Lumley, Geoff Cameron, Luke Amos (Aramide Oteh 81), Eberechi Eze, Dominic Ball, Ryan Manning, Ilias Chair, Bright Osayi-Samuel (Olamide Shodipo 81), Angel Rangel (Conor Masterson 11), Osman Kakay, Yoann Barbet (C).

Subs not used: Todd Kane, Lee Wallace, Faysal Bettache, Liam Kelly, Joe Gubbins, Jack Clarke.

Referee: Stephen Martin.