FULL-TIME REPORT & VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: QPR 1 Blackburn Rovers 1

Tjaronn Chery fired the Hoops in front in the 65th minute when he converted a harshly awarded free kick in spectacular fashion.

But Gallagher restored parity eight minutes later with a fine header which ensured honours ended even.

Rovers, who lost debutant Charlie Mulgrew to a calf injury, remain winless and bottom of the Championship table after six matches.

But Owen Coyle and the 598 supporters who made the trip to West London will take heart from what was another improved performance going into Tuesday’s trip to fellow strugglers Leeds United.

Rovers boss Coyle made one change to the team which started the devastating late loss to Fulham before the international break with new boy Mulgrew taking the place of Danny Guthrie.

Fellow transfer deadline day arrival Marvin Emnes was named on a substitutes’ bench minus the injured Anthony Stokes.

Mulgrew lined-up in front of the back four and behind a four-man midfield in which Gallagher and Craig Conway offered the width and in which Ben Marshall operated centrally alongside Hope Akpan.

The 4-1-4-1 formation restricted a QPR side chasing three successive victories for the first time since January 2014 to little in a closely fought first half.

Instead it was Rovers who had the better of the limited chances with the first coming in the sixth minute.

A corner was cleared as far as the edge of the area where Akpan headed the ball toward Tommie Hoban who was unable to stretch his neck muscles enough to divert it goalwards.

The excellent Akpan then dragged the ball wide after being played in by Conway who then whistled a shot inches past the near post after Marshall’s cross-field pass invited the right-winger to cut infield.

With the Hoops struggling to break their opponents down the closest they came before the break was when right-back James Perch lashed a rising 20-yard drive over the bar.

Rovers were dealt a blow in the 34th minute when Mulgrew was forced after hurting his calf. He was replaced by Corry Evans, who was also making his first appearance of the campaign.

Like Mulgrew, Evans impressed.

The opening period seemed set to peter out until added time when Grant Hall headed a teasing Marshall cross just past his own post.

And from the resultant Conway corner Jake Bidwell produced an even better piece of defending to clear a downward header from Gallagher off the line.

Three minutes after the restart it was the turn of QPR to go close as Abdenasser El Khayati brought down a long ball and forced Jason Steele into the first of the two superb saves he would make in a much more open second half.

Rovers responded with Akpan fizzing a cross across the danger area before Alex Smithies gathered a long-range effort from Marshall at the second attempt.

The Hoops goalkeeper then flew to his right to palm away a sweetly struck volley from Evans.

And from Conway’s resultant corner that man Bidwell denied Gordon Greer a certain goal with a brave block.

It came against the run of play, then, when QPR took the lead.

Marshall was harshly adjudged to have given a foul away 25 yards from his own goal and Chery curled a stunning free kick beyond the despairing dive of Steele and in off the bar.

It was the high-flying Hoops’ ninth league goal of the season. All have come from set-pieces.

Half-time substitute Conor Washington then went close to doubling the advantage as he got the better of Hoban and a saw a shot deflect wide.

But Rovers responded strongly to falling behind and Gallagher was denied a tap-in by Hall after Marshall and Danny Graham combined down the left.

However the on-loan Southampton youngster did get the goal he and his side merited.

Evans floated a ball into the box where Gallagher looped a header over Smithies and into the net.

Rovers, with Emnes making an impression after replacing the goalscorer, went searching for a winner.

And Graham will feel he should have done better than flash a header wide following another dangerous corner delivery by the unstinting Conway.

But in the end they were grateful to their goalkeeper as Steele did brilliantly to keep out a fiercely struck 10-yard half-volley from QPR sub Idrissa Sylla.

MATCH FACTS

QPR: Smithies, Perch, Onuoha, Hall, Bidwell, Henry, Cousins, Chery, El Khayati (Sylla 80), Shodipo, Polter (Washington 46). Subs not used: Ingram, Borysiuk, Caulker, Kakay, Paul.

Booked: Shodipo, Perch.

Goal: Chery 65.

Rovers: Steele, Lowe, Hoban, Greer, Williams, Mulgrew (Evans 34), Conway, Marshall, Akpan, Gallagher (Emnes 77), Graham (Samuelsen 83). Subs not used: Raya, Feeney, Byrne, Guthrie.

Booked: Williams, Akpan, Lowe.

Goal: Gallagher 73.

Referee: Keith Stroud.

Attendance: 13,210 (598 away).