QPR 1-1 Birmingham: Steven Caulker rescues point for Rs

Birmingham maintained their unbeaten away league record this season with a 1-1 draw at QPR.

Lukas Jutkiewicz put the visitors ahead on 23 minutes at Loftus Road before Steven Caulker's equaliser earned struggling Rangers a point.

Caulker headed home Tjaronn Chery's right-wing corner six minutes before half-time.

It was a much-needed boost for Rangers, who were recently hammered 6-0 at home by Newcastle and struggled to create clear-cut chances during the first half against a well-organised Blues side.

Birmingham opened the scoring when Jacques Maghoma's left-wing cross was headed back across goal by Michael Morrison at the far post and the unmarked Jutkiewicz had the simple task of scoring from close range.

The goal came shortly after striker Jutkiewicz had been denied by keeper Alex Smithies after drifting in behind Grant Hall.

Earlier, Jordan Cousins fired over with only keeper Adam Legzdins to beat after Hall's long ball had been nodded on by Idrissa Sylla, who made his full league debut for the hosts.

Rangers were then dealt a blow when Cousins limped off injured on the quarter-hour mark - and worse followed for them when Birmingham took the lead, before Caulker netted his second goal of the season.

But Rangers switched off again and were lucky not to concede just before the break when Maghoma's left-wing corner was blazed over by Morrison.

QPR, who have won just one of their last seven league matches, were much more threatening after the break

Cousins' replacement, Pawel Wszolek, created two second-half chances for Chery, who saw one shot blocked by Morrison and another saved by Legzdins after the Polish winger had pulled the ball back from the right.

Legzdins, playing in place of the injured Tomasz Kuszczak, also did well to keep out efforts from Sylla and Massimo Luongo as the home side tried in vain to find a second goal.

Rangers manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has recently attracted criticism from fans, partly because of his reluctance to play with two out-and-out strikers.

On this occasion, though, he sent on Sebastian Polter to partner Sylla in an attempt to get the victory, but Birmingham stood firm.

Rangers skipper Nedum Onouha tried his luck, volleying over following Jake Bidwell's left-wing corner.

The impressive Legzdins produced another save late on, this time diving to his left to gather a powerfully-struck effort from Ariel Borysiuk.

And in injury time, Wszolek popped up on the left and delivered an excellent cross to the far post, where Sylla headed over.