The London derby between West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers ended in a 1-1 draw at Upton Park this afternoon.
Hosting West Ham had the better of the opening exchanges, but neither Marouane Chamakh nor Kevin Nolan was able to convert early chances.
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Their failure to do so was duly punished in the 14th minute courtesy of QPR debutant Loic Remy. Adel Taarabt played in the French international, who got beyond the home defence before slotting the ball beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Despite falling behind, West Ham responded positively but they were largely restricted to shots from distance, while referee Howard Webb dismissed two of their penalty appeals.
Arsenal loanee Chamakh missed with a headed effort early in the second half and moments later he was replaced by Carlton Cole, who made an almost immediate impact in the 68th minute.
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Cole saw his headed effort parried clear by Julio Cesar, but his namesake Joe was on hand to convert the rebound from just two yards out.
Having levelled up the match, West Ham exerted a large amount of pressure as they went in search of a winner.
However, the likes of Joe Cole and Nolan both missed chances as Harry Redknapp's side held on to claim a share of the spoils.
Liam Apicella
