Two late QPR goals saw Luton's Championship survival hopes take another blow in a highly charged Bank Holiday encounter at Loftus Road.

Luton had come within minutes of securing their first win under manager Kevin Blackwell, but were denied by a late Dexter Blackstock penalty and a header from Paul Furlong.

Luton had come from behind after Blackstock had put the home side in front late in the first half before Luton drew level before the interval with Chris Coyne's first goal of the season.

David Bell's penalty then gave Luton the lead early in the second half and just when it looked as if the Hatters may secure a much needed win, they were dealt a double blow through Rangers late surge.

Bell made a welcome return to the starting line-up after missing Saturday's defeat against Southampton through gastroenteritis.

The former Rushden & Diamonds winger was one of two changes with Calvin Andrew making his first start for the Hatters since Boxing Day 2004.

Kevin Foley and Dean Morgan were the players to give way with boss Kevin Blackwell opting not to name a goalkeeper amongst his substitutes.

QPR, fresh from a 1-0 win at Coventry at the weekend, made three changes from that side with Marcus Bignot, Steve Lomas and Marc Nygaard all included.

Blackwell went into the game by ditching his 4-5-1 set-up, which had been used in the previous two fixtures, instead reverting to a more traditional 4-4-2 formation.

Two front men gave Luton more threat in attack and the opening ten minutes saw the visitors dominate the Rangers half as they twice came close to taking the lead.

Firstly, Bell teed up Matthew Spring on the edge of the Rangers area on five minutes, but his low shot was deflected away for a corner.

From the resulting Bell kick, Luton then came within inches of breaking the deadlock when Markus Heikkinen was gifted with a free header, but the Finnish international couldn't find the target from eight yards.

Luton continued to push forward and in the ninth minute Andrew looped a header towards goal, but Rangers goalkeeper Lee Camp was able to make a comfortable save.

Rangers had yet to put the Luton defence under any considerable pressure with Blackstock and Marc Nygaard both having half chances that were easily smothered by Luton goalkeeper Dean Brill.

Luton was continuing to put pressure on the Rangers defence and in the 29th minute Drew Talbot was to sensationally have his third goal disallowed in his last two games.

On this occasion Bell's corner from the left was cleared out only as far as Spring who pumped the ball back into the area where Talbot flicked the cross past Camp only to be flagged offside.

Steve Lomas came close for Rangers in a rare chance for the home side in the 34th minute. As Luton's defence failed to clear their lines, the ball fell to the Northern Ireland midfielder but he wasted his opening by scooping a shot over the crossbar.

All of Luton's hard work and possession was soon to count for nothing as the deadlock was broken in the 41st minute through a moment of sloppy defending from the visitors.

Just a minute after Luton were forced into making a change with Morgan replacing Ahmet Brkovic, Rangers went in front with their first real chance of the game.

A throw from the right was not defended probably by the Hatters and Nygaard headed the ball back across goal which was swept home by Blackstock at the second attempt after having his initial shot blocked by Coyne.

The goal was a bitter blow for the Hatters who had dominated the first half and had created the better chances.

However, their efforts were to be rewarded with an equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time as a Bell picked up the ball from Spring and sent in a cross from the right which was nodded in at the near post by Coyne, for Luton's first goal in four matches.

AT HALF TIME: QPR 1 V 1 LUTON

Rangers came out of the blocks strongly at the start of the second half and Blackstock's scuffed shot from 12-yards almost saw the home side regain the lead immediately.

However, six minutes after the restart Luton were to find themselves in front when Nygaard needlessly handled Morgan's left wing cross inside the area. Referee Clive Penton had no hesitation in pointing to the spot as Bell calmly send Camp the wrong way with his kick.

QPR almost responded immediately when Lomas linked up with Stefan Moore down the right but after getting into a promising position the midfielder squandered his cross shooting straight at Brill from an acute angle.

Luton should have extended their lead further when in the 59th minute Lewis Emanuel played in Andrew down the left whose cross picked out Talbot, but the striker could only poke the ball at Camp from six yards.

The Hatters were then forced to reshuffle their line-up as substitute Morgan was substituted himself because of an injury and replaced by former Rangers player Richard Langley.

Luton were then put under the cosh as Rangers bombarded the visitors' penalty area with crosses from either flank after Paul Furlong was introduced into the action to add some aerial threat.

The Hatters were defending solidly but a debatably penalty decision by Penton was to see Rangers get themselves back on level terms from the penalty spot in the 81st minute when Heikkinen was penalised for bringing down Furlong inside the area.

After a long delay due to some angry exchanged words between the two sets of players, Blackstock kept his cool to send Brill the wrong way.

Then things took a turn for the worst as Hatters somehow squandered their point as Furlong got his head onto the end of a cross in the closing stages to beat Brill from eight yards.

AT FULL TIME: QPR 3 V 2 LUTON

QPR: Camp, Bignot, Cullip, Bolder, Ainsworth (Smith 23), Lomas, Moore, Kanyuka (Timoska 62), Stewart, Nygaard (Furlong 64), Blackstock

Subs not used: Cole, Ricketts

Bookings: Bolder (50)

Luton: Brill, Coyne, Spring, Robinson, Emanuel, Brkovic (Morgan 41, Langley 67), Keane, Heikkinen, Bell, Andrew, Talbot (Idrizaj 85)

Subs not used: Foley, Perrett.

Bookings: Andrew (78), Herkimer ( 80)

Referee: Mr C Penton

Attendance: 14,360 (844 from Luton)