Premier League: Late drama as Liverpool edge five-goal contest at QPR

Liverpool were far from their best but picked up all three points

Liverpool left Loftus Road on Sunday with all three points following a remarkable finish to a meeting with Queens Park Rangers which ended 3-2.

Two own goals, the first from Richard Dunne and the second from Steven Caulker in the 95th minute, left the hosts cursing their luck and rooted to the foot of the Premier League table.

Eduardo Vargas had stepped off the bench to give Harry Redknapp’s men hope late on, as he netted either side of a Philippe Coutinho effort, but it was to be Brendan Rodgers celebrating at the final whistle.

He will be a relieved man to be heading home with the points after seeing his side put in a disjointed display in the capital.

Bobby Zamora was a thorn in Liverpool’s side from the off, with the powerful frontman crossing for Leroy Fer to crack the ball off the top of the crossbar just before the half-hour mark.

The Dutchman hit the woodwork again shortly afterwards as he nodded over Simon Mignolet and Glen Johnson had to scramble clear from in front of Charlie Austin and Sandro as the visitors rode their luck.

It appeared destined that the game would end goalless as QPR continued to toil at the start of the second half and Mario Balotelli lifted a volley over a gaping net after Alex McCarthy had parried an effort from Adam Lallana.

A moment of misfortune on 67 minutes brought the contest to life, though, with Johnson latching onto a quickly-taken free-kick to fire across the face of goal and force a disorientated Dunne to poke over his own line.

That was how things stayed until three minutes from time when Austin cushioned a cross fed to the back post into the path of Vargas to volley in from close range.

The tie was suddenly swinging from end to end, with Coutinho finishing off a flowing counter-attack with a low drive that flicked off Caulker before Vargas once again restored parity with a glancing header from a corner which beat Mignolet at his near post before he could claw clear.

Liverpool were not to be denied, though, and as Raheem Sterling raced through, his square pass intended for Balotelli was bundled into an unguarded net by the back-tracking Caulker.

More to follow…

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