BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 Gallagher (90) QPR 0

SAM GALLAGHER scored an injury time winner as Blackburn defeated QPR to boost their survival hopes.

The home fans had endured a frustrating afternoon of few chances and made their feelings about manager Owen Coyle clear, but Gallagher stopped those chants in their tracks in the dying moments with his 11th of the season.

QPR peppered the Blackburn goal from the outset. Inside the first minute, a raking crossfield ball found Conor Washington, who squared to Jamie Mackie, free inside the box, but Jason Steele pulled off a stunning low save.

Rovers responded soon after when Craig Conway’s cross found Liam Feeney, but he lashed wide.

Neither side created anything clear-cut as the half wore on, though Gallagher should have done better when he met a Conway corner 12 yards out, but couldn’t find the target.

The visitors had the first real chance of note in the second half when Washington controlled the ball on the left of the area, but proceeded to drag his effort wide.

The games’ real talking point came on the hour as a long throw somehow found Washington in the area, whose powerful 12-yard header bounced down off the underside of the crossbar, but the officials ruled the ball hadn’t crossed the line. On first viewing, the ball looked over the line.

As the game entered the dying moments, the Blackburn fans loudly voiced their displeasure against manager Coyle, but in the 91st minute Marvin Emnes delivered the perfect cross for Gallagher to half-volley home from six yards to give his under-fire boss some respite.