West Ham’s penalty pain costs them top spot in Championship after QPR draw

The QPR goalkeeper Pierce Charles made a stunning double save from a Jarrod Bowen penalty in stoppage time to secure a 1-1 draw at West Ham. The 21-year-old, who kept four clean sheets and saved a penalty for Northern Ireland over the international break, pulled off more heroics to deny the Hammers top spot in the Championship .

Bowen had already equalised for West Ham, cancelling out a hugely controversial first-half penalty from Nicolas Madsen. But the Hammers captain saw his spot-kick saved and Charles then somehow pushed the rebound from Arne Engels on to the crossbar.

West Ham were earlier on the wrong end of a dreadful penalty decision after Tomas Soucek was penalised for fouling Paul Smyth. Replays showed the challenge was well outside the area and that the Hammers midfielder got the ball. A VAR review would have definitely overturned referee Ruebyn Ricardo’s decision but with no technology in the Championship it stood, to the dismay of the majority inside the London Stadium.

The West Ham assistant coach Rui Pedro Silva was booked for his complaints, as was Engels for stamping on the penalty spot, but Madsen kept his cool and calmly rolled the ball into the bottom corner.

Rangers almost doubled their lead from a West Ham corner, mounting a swift counterattack which left recalled striker Rayan Kolli with a shooting opportunity 15 yards out, but Mads Hermansen made a fine save.

Just as he had done at Millwall last time out with his side 2-0 down, the West Ham manager, Nuno Espírito Santo, made a double substitution at half-time, sending on Pablo Felipe and Edvin Austbø for Soucek and Kyle Walker-Peters. But Rangers almost struck again when Smyth danced past Konstantinos Mavropanos and into the area, only for the Greek defender to make a crucial recovery tackle.

Bowen, well marshalled by Rangers left-back Boy Kemper, had been enduring a frustrating evening until he burst into life in the 70th minute. The England international won the ball back with a crunching tackle on Ronnie Edwards, earning himself a bloody nose in the process. Pablo played the ball back to Bowen, who darted into the area and saw his first shot block before snaffling the rebound.

West Ham went in search of a winner and Bowen’s scuffed effort looked destined for the net until Charles flung out a hand to push it past a post. Then, as the clock ticked into stoppage time Rangers substitute Amadou Mbengue grabbed a handful of Pablo’s shirt, referee Ricardo pointed to the spot again, but Charles superbly denied Bowen and Engels to earn his side a point.