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Live Commentary: West Ham United 1-1 Queens Park Rangers - as it happened

Sports Mole brings you live coverage from the London derby between West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers at Upton Park.
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West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers headed into today's London derby at Upton Park both needing maximum points.

The Hammers tried to get back on a winning run following their recent record of just one victory in six league matches but the R's managed to halt their camapign by holding out for a 1-1 draw on away turf.

Find out how the match unfolded in our minute-by-minute text commentary below.


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Hello all! Here we are again for another weekend of Premier League action. Here, we're focusing on West Ham United's clash against Queens Park Rangers. The Hammers have been inconsistent in recent weeks, taking just one win from six league games. QPR, on the other hand, have had some good results this month but they still remain at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Despite their lowly league position, R's fans may be encouraged by recent performances against Tottenham Hotspur, where they managed to secure a point from a 0-0 draw at Loftus Road. Arguably, their biggest result of the campaign was against Chelsea, when they snatched a surprise 1-0 win.

Right, we have some team news emerging from Upton Park and it's the home side first...

WEST HAM XI: Jaaskelainen; Demel, Tomkins, Reid, O'Brien; Noble, Diame, Nolan, Jarvis, J.Cole; Chamakh

SUBS: Spiegel, Potts, Diarra, Taylor, Collison, Vaz Te, C.Cole

The away team has also been released for today's clash. Does new boy Loic Remy start?

QPR XI: Cesar; Onuoha, Hill, Nelsen, Fabio; Derry, Mbia, Taarabt, Wright-Phillips; Mackie, Remy

SUBS: Green, Traore, Ferdinand, Park, Hoilett, Faurlin, Bothroyd

Right, let's have a look at the team selections then! For the home team, Mark Noble and Mohamed Diame return to the side following recent injuries, which means that Jack Collison and Alou Diarra have been demoted to the bench. Arsenal loanee Marouane Chamakh is handed a start for the Hammers and you expect that he'll have something to prove following his dismal term with the Gunners.

Carlton Cole and Ricardo Vaz Te have been dealt blows by being named as a substitute, while Allardyce has opted for Matt Jarvis and Joe Cole to provide support to the French frontman.

Let's switch to the visitors. Redknapp mentioned earlier this week that new signing Loic Remy, who moved to Loftus Road from Marseille earlier this week, would make his debut against the Hammers and he was telling the truth as the Frenchman is named in the starting lineup.

He doesn't arrive at QPR in the best form but the R's will be hoping that the 26-year-old can fire the West London outfit out of the relegation zone. Ryan Nelsen remains in defence, despite already agreeing to join the MLS as Toronto FC's new manager, while Shaun Derry and Stephane M’Bia keep their spots in midfield.

While the pressure may slightly be on Remy to find the back of the net today, he will be joined by Jamie Mackie, who Redknapp has opted to provide support to the forward.

Adel Taarabt has been a standout player for the R's on occasion this season but while the Moroccon can show hints of quality, he can be quite inconsistent, although Redknapp will be hoping he's on good form today.

The two sides have already played each other this season and it was a good result for the Hammers, who clinched a 2-1 win at Loftus Road. Can they do the double over the struggling side?

I have a fact that QPR fans may not be too pleased to hear. The R's have the worst chance conversion rate in the Premier League, scoring with just 8% of their shots this season. Perhaps not that surprising considering their place in the table.

It's worth noting that Howard Webb is the referee for today's contest and after last weekend's controversy over tackling, pressure will be on all of today's match officials to make the right decisions.

Let me take this time to remind you that we have plenty of live commentaries going on around the site today. We've got the remainder of the Championship clash between Derby County and Nottingham Forest, which is currently 1-1, while we have Liverpool vs. Norwich City and Manchester City vs. Fulham also covered. Take your pick here.

So let's have a look at what certain results will do for West Ham and QPR today. If the Hammers snatch a victory, which is something that they have only experienced one in six games, they could move up one spot to 10th, depending on Stoke City's result.

If QPR seal a much-needed win, they could also climb up one place if Reading fail to snatch any points from Newcastle United at St James's Park, but if so, they will still remain in the relegation zone.

I have another interested fact for you. West Ham and QPR have only met three times since 2000 - the Hammers grabbing two wins, with QPR claiming one. There may not be a fierce rivalry between the two but it's still a London derby, so the players should be up for it!

All eyes are likely to be on the new boys from both teams - Remy and Chamakh. Like I previously said, neither are in the best form but they have a chance to turn that around with a good performance today.

We're just six or so minutes away from the kickoff and the teams are getting ready to enter the tunnel.

Luckily the recent blistery conditions haven't affected today's match and there looks like there's no snow in the air today.

We're almost ready to go! The teams are out and the obligatory handshakes are up next. It looks like there's some cold players out there. Gloves are out in force!

And we're off! West Ham getting us underway from right to left...

QPR get the first attack with Mackie driving into the box but his cross is cleared by Reid to give the away side a corner.

Taarabt takes the free kick and finds the head of Hill, who manages to find space in the penalty area but fails to cause any danger for the Hammers.

Remy gets his first touch of the ball but he seems a bit over-keen to grab the ball from Taarabt's pass as he's flagged offside.

QPR are getting plenty of possession in these early stages as Wright-Phillips tries to get through West Ham's back line but Diame manages to steal the ball and end the R's attack.

A great touch from Taarabt from Cesar's goal kick and he finds M'bia, who tries to pass it back but the West Ham defence snuffs out the move.

CHANCE! At the other end, Diame launches to the byline and passes the ball into the box, which misses Cesar but there's nobody there to latch onto it. West Ham will be scratching their heads on how they managed to miss that opportunity.

Noble launches a pass to Demel on the left, who then crosses into the box but Cesar manages to clear the danger.

Jarvis tries a shot from just outside the area but it's a lacklustre attempt and the QPR goalkeeper gathers the ball with ease.

Despite QPR's strong start, West Ham are looking threatening in the final third as they try to push bodies up and put pressure on QPR's defence.

Noble's free kick into the box misses the head of the blue and claret shirts but Nolan is inches away of toeing the ball into the back of the net but Cesar once again collects.

Diame tries an ambitious shot after sneaking away from Derry but it bounces off a West Ham defender to stop the threat.

The game hasn't been out of QPR's half in the last five minutes as Jarvis launches a cross into the box but Cesar gets enough on the ball to clear the danger.

Demel crosses the ball into the penalty area but it's just beyond Nolan and it bounces out for a throw-in. It's all West Ham at the moment!

GOAL! West Ham 0-1 QPR (Remy)

Well, well, well, I didn't see that coming! After a strong spell from West Ham, Taarabt finds himself with the ball in the middle of the park. After a swift spin, the Moroccon manages to slide the ball to Remy's feet (who remained onside) to nip past the Hammers defence and shoot the ball into the back of the net.

What a debut for the Frenchman! Arguably, it was poor defending from the home side, who held their line all wrong. Now it's up to West Ham to respond.

The Hammers regain possession with Demel in midfield, who passes to Joe Cole, who slides the ball into Chamakh but his touch is poor and loses the ball.

A great challenge by Reid stops Taarabt in his tracks and suddenly we're at the other end as Jarvis crosses into the box but Cesar jumps high to snatch the ball.

Cole crosses towards Chamakh but he could have tried to drive into the box himself because the cross goes missing.

At the other end, Taarabt leaves a lovely layoff for Wright-Phillips, who takes on the shot but it flies over the bar.

QPR knock the ball around neatly as they enjoy a spell of possession. While West Ham have had the better start in terms of play, the R's are regaining some confidence after snatching the first goal.

M'bia thunders the ball away after Chamakh found space for a cross into the box. The Frenchman hasn't quite found his feet in this game.

A lovely touch from Taarabt plays in Wright-Phillips, who slides the ball to his right to find Mackie. He drives into the box but his shot is blocked and goes out for a corner, which comes to nothing.

Hill volleys the ball forward towards Remy but the pass is hit too hard for the Frenchman to latch onto it and it goes out of play.

West Ham have been losing the ball easily in these last 10 minutes and Taarabt seems to always be the one to steal. He passes Cole and Reid with super skill but a lunging challenge from Noble ends his attack but earns his side a free kick just above the halfway line.

Chamakh finds the ball in the box after a West Ham break but he fails to control the ball and tries to claim that Derry muscled him out of his stride but Webb is having none of it.

Jarvis drives down the left-hand side to find O'Brien, who arrives for support but the attack is fizzled out.

The West Ham players are not happy! Chamakh had two penalty shouts turned down by Webb after Hill wrapped his arms around the Frenchman's shoulders in the box and after wrestling away from Hill, Chamakh looked to be clipped by Wright-Phillips metres from goal.

The second one may have been harsh to give but looking at the replay, Hill did pull back Chamakh and could easily have been penalised for it.

Chamakh is getting more into the game as we reach the half-hour mark. He passes out to Cole, who swiftly launches his cross to Diame, who wriggles passed the QPR defence but his shot misses the target and goes over the bar.

Jarvis hits his cross two hard after it reverberates off the QPR defence and Cole doesn't have enough time to grab the opportunity and it goes out for a throw-in.

Diame's played relatively well in this first half but the midfielder ends his side's attack by passing the ball into open space outside of the box with no teammates around to keep up the play.

A swinging cross from Noble finds the head of Clint, who clears the danger and gives away a corner kick, whick Cole will take.

The set piece comes to nothing and Taarabt gets the chance to break for QPR. The Moroccon had a number of options with Remy and Mackie surging to the area but Taarabt opts for Wright-Phillips but his pass falls way short of the winger.

Cole splays the ball out wide to Jarvis but Onuoha manages to scuff out his cross and QPR give another corner away to the Hammers.

The corner comes into the middle of the penalty area but once again no blue and claret shirt can make the most of the opportunity.

Taarabt brings down O'Brien and gives away a free kick, which allows Tomkins and Reid to move up the field and into the penalty area.

Cole finds Chamakh on the edge of the area but his header has no chance of drifting into the back of the net and it flies over the bar.

Cole and Jarvis switch their position on the flanks to try to get an equaliser before the half-time whistle.

Chamakh wins the flick-on just outside of the area but Fabio thinks quickly to run ahead of Reid to nudge the ball to Cesar to clear the danger.

Seconds later Taarabt surges from midfield to find space and take an ambitious shot but it goes wide.

Cole tries to bend the ball around the keeper but he went too quickly and it just dribbled into the hands of Cesar as the fourth official indicates just one minute of added time.

Diame loses his feet in the area and he drags Nelsen back after losing the ball, which gives QPR a free kick.

HALF TIME: West Ham 0-1 QPR

The away side head into the half-time break a goal to the good following a strong finish from new boy Loic Remy. QPR looked strong in the first few minutes of the contest but began to get pushed onto the backfoot by West Ham, who started to control the ball and spark danger with their set pieces.

Despite their positive performance, the Hammers were dealt a blow after Remy found the back of the net courtesy of a through-ball from Taarabt. Allardyce won't be happy with his side's defending as Tomkins and Reid held their line, which gave Remy space to free himself away from his opponents to get a decent shot on goal.

After that, West Ham managed to regain composure in their search for an equaliser but QPR's defence managed to snuff out their attacks and Taarabt proved to be a thorn in West Ham's defence throughout the first 45 minutes.

The biggest talking point of the first half is whether West Ham should have been given a penalty. Chamakh was wrestled in the box by Hill, who wrapped his arms around the shoulders of the Frenchman, but instead of falling to ground, the Arsenal loanee stayed on his feet and lost his footing after pressure from Wright-Phillips.

While the West Ham players protested, Webb was having none of it and waved away their claims. However, replays have shown that Chamakh was man-handled unfairly by Hill and could easily have received a penalty for that.

Well, they're my ramblings on the first half but if you would like a more comprehensive view, you can read our half-time report here.

Also, take a look at how the other Premier League matches are getting on. You can find the half-time scores here.

Right, we're back underway at Upton Park. QPR get us started...

Cole's cross into the box is snuffed out easily by QPR. It was a poor attempt by the former Liverpool man.

A swinging cross heads into the penalty area by Cole but once again QPR stand form and clear the danger.

QPR counter with Wright-Phillips, who drives down the left-hand side and along with Tarrabt tries to sneak through the West Ham line but they defend in numbers and half QPR's attack.

Onuoha wastes an attack by going for the corner after drifting the ball out wide of the penalty area but the goal-kick is given and allows West Ham to build from the back.

Cole moves inside to get his cross in but Cesar comes from his line to grab the ball and launch it back into the field.

West Ham regain possession instantly and they've started how the finished the opening 45 by attacking their opponents. However, you'd have to argue that they need to switch up their game because the R's are dealing with their crosses.

SAVE! Cole holds onto the ball and drives into the penalty area to get a shot away but Cesar dives to his right and launches both arms out to get the ball away from the danger area.

SAVE! Well, how did West Ham not score then?! A great save from Cesar stops Chamakh from getting an equaliser and seconds later Diame's shot gets blocked and QPR survive.

Cole passes the ball out wide to Jarvis, who finds Diame in the box and the playmaker tries to latch onto the ball but M'bia piles on enough pressure to get the ball away.

QPR are hanging on here! And M'bia is limping off the field after getting kicked by Diame in the penalty area. Cue a chorus of boos from the West Ham fans.

M'Bia returns to the field to more boos but QPR are about to make the first substitution.

SUB! Wright-Phillips leaves the field for defender Armand Traore.

It looks as though Redknapp doesn't want to take any chances as he brings on another defender to try to weather the storm.

QPR get a rare spell of possession courtesy of a throw-in but the Hammers steal the ball quickly to launch an attack but a long ball is snuffed out by Onouha.

SAVE! Cesar is keeping QPR in this game at the moment. Chamakh leaps up to find Jarvis's cross and tries a downward header to trouble Cesar but the keeper grabs it.

SUB! Chamakh makes way for Carlton Cole and it's not received well by the home fans. Boos ring around the stadium to the news.

It appears that Wright-Phillips's omission from the field was due to a calf injury. There's no indication yet to how damaging it is.

Back to matters on the field - Carlton Cole wins a corner kick for his side after Hill knocks the ball behind the byline.

The corner his overhit but finds Jarvis, who gets muscled out by Mackie and gets a throw-in.

QPR steal possession and try to regain some composure but a ball from Taarabt out wide finds Traore but he's rightfully flagged offside.

SUB! QPR make their second substitution as Mackie leaves the field for Jay Bothroyd, who is fighting for his future at Loftus Road. Could a goal today seal it?

GOAL! West Ham 1-1 QPR (J. Cole)

It was coming! Demel pulls the ball back for Noble, who in turn finds Jarvis on the right. Jarvis's cross allows Carlton Cole to head towards goal but it bounces off Cesar and falls into the feet of Joe Cole, who slams the ball into the back of the net.

At the other end, QPR get a free kick from outside the area but Bothroyd's shot hits the wall and comes to nothing.

Seconds later M'Bia brings down Diame to give the Hammers a great chance just outside the area to take the lead.

A clever free kick from Noble, who drifts the ball out wide to Jarvis instead of going for the shot, but Jarvis's cross goes wide when his better option was to stay on the floor and just slide it into Nolan's feet.

YELLOW CARD! The tackling debate rares up again! Tomkins slides into Traore from behind and gets a caution.

The Hammers are searching for the winning goal and I wouldn't be surprised if they find it. Joe Cole has been drifting into the middle on many occasions and QPR are struggling to deal with the former Liverpool man.

Taarabt and Derry try to start an attack from midfield but the Moroccon fails to latch onto the return pass and throws his arms up in the air in frustration.

Diame pulls the ball out wide to Jarvis but Onuoha wins the battle by muscling Jarvis out and gaining a goal kick for his team.

Ooooh that was close! Jarvis is caught inches offside after a lovely pass from Carlton Cole. West Ham are building on the pressure!

Demel gets a cross in from the right but Cesar easily snatches the ball in the air and tries to launch an attack for his side but West Ham regain possession instantly as we reach the final 10 minutes of the derby.

Diame tries a shot but it difts out wide following some lovely build-up play from Carlton Cole.

SUB! Ji-Sung Park comes on for Taarabt as QPR use up all three of their substitutions.

A shot from Reid gets charged down and West Ham are knocking at the door in these final few minutes. QPR are hanging on!

MISS! Reid hits the side netting after trying to find the near post when he should have gone for the right corner. West Ham are still asking questions!

Park nabs the ball for QPR, who are desperate for possession, but a cross falls to Jaaskelainen and the visitors lose the ball yet again.

The ball is given away by West Ham to M'Bia and it's three against two as Remy gets the ball out wide and his shot is blocked by Reid.

SUB! West Ham make a change as Vaz Te comes on for skipper Nolan.

Cole takes the corner but Hill easily heads clear and the Hammers get the throw-in and two minutes plus added time to find the winner.

QPR counter with Bothroyd who crosses to Park but the former Manchester United man fails to take the opportunity and his shot goes out for a West Ham goal kick.

West Ham get yet another corner as four minutes of added time are announced...

Cole launches the set piece into the box but Nelsen puts enough pressure on Reid to force the defender to head the ball over the bar.

Tomkins begins another attack from the back for West Ham and he finds Vaz Te but Traore stays with the forward and forces Vaz Te to knock the ball out for a goal kick.

A push by Hill on Carlton Cole gives West Ham a free kick to launch one final push for the winner.

Noble teases the ball into the box but it's poor as Cesar gathers in the air with ease.

FULL TIME: West Ham 1-1 QPR

So there we have it! QPR managed to weather the storm and nab another point in their quest for Premier League safety, while the Hammers now have a record of just one win in seven league fixtures.

While the R's will be pleased with getting another point on the board, you could argue that West Ham will be frustrated that they couldn't convert a winning result following their dominant performance in the second half.

So what does that do the table? Well, the Hammers have dropped down from 11th to 12th on 27 points after Sunderland leapfrogged them in the standings, while QPR remain at the bottom of the table, needing five points to climb out of the relegation zone.

You can read our full-time report of the London derby here and while this game may be over, stick around on Sports Mole for coverage of West Bromwich Albion's match against Aston Villa and all the La Liga action this evening. Enjoy!

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