Newcastle United's Demba Ba, right, vies for the ball. -Photo by AP

LONDON: Queens Park Rangers forward Junior Hoilett scored a superb goal after an 80-metre run in only the second minute but his team still stayed bottom of the Premier League without a win after a 1-1 draw with Everton at Loftus Road today.

The Tyne-Wear derby between Sunderland and Newcastle United at the Stadium of Light also finished in a 1-1 draw with both matches featuring an own goal and a sending off for the away side.

QPR raced into the lead against Everton when Hoilett, picking the ball up deep in his own half after an Everton corner, powered his way through the centre of the field, holding off a challenge from Phil Neville before shooting.

The ball hit the heel of Leighton Baines and looped over the wrong-footed Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard, but Everton were level 30 minutes later when Sylvain Distin's header hit a post and the back of goalkeeper Julio Cesar and trickled over the line, with the goalkeeper being credited with an own goal.

Everton were reduced to 10 men when Steven Pienaar was sent off for a second yellow after 61 minutes that will keep him out of next week's Merseyside derby against Liverpool.

QPR remain bottom behind Reading on goal difference with three points, the only other team without a win.

"I think its an important point but ideally we would have preferred to have taken the maximum today because our performance warranted that," QPR manager Mark Hughes told Sky Sports.

"Some of our play, especially in the first half was excellent."

Sunderland and Newcastle finished an entertaining Tyne-Wear derby all square with Newcastle scoring at the right end through Yohan Cabaye after three minutes and at the wrong end when Demba Ba put through his own net five minutes from time.

Newcastle were reduced to 10 men after 25 minutes when Cheick Tiote was sent off for a rash kick at Sunderland's Steven Fletcher.

The results had little impact on the league standings with Everton staying fourth on 15 points from their eight matches, three behind Manchester United and Manchester City and seven behind leaders Chelsea.

Newcastle moved from 12th to 11th place on 10 points while Sunderland stayed 14th on eight points having played seven matches.

 

Opinion

Editorial

By-election trends
Updated 23 Apr, 2024

By-election trends

Unless the culture of violence and rigging is rooted out, the credibility of the electoral process in Pakistan will continue to remain under a cloud.
Privatising PIA
23 Apr, 2024

Privatising PIA

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s reaffirmation that the process of disinvestment of the loss-making national...
Suffering in captivity
23 Apr, 2024

Suffering in captivity

YET another animal — a lioness — is critically ill at the Karachi Zoo. The feline, emaciated and barely able to...
Not without reform
Updated 22 Apr, 2024

Not without reform

The problem with us is that our ruling elite is still trying to find a way around the tough reforms that will hit their privileges.
Raisi’s visit
22 Apr, 2024

Raisi’s visit

IRANIAN President Ebrahim Raisi, who begins his three-day trip to Pakistan today, will be visiting the country ...
Janus-faced
22 Apr, 2024

Janus-faced

THE US has done it again. While officially insisting it is committed to a peaceful resolution to the...