Jonjo Shelvey put Rafa Benitez’s side ahead at St. James’ Park, lashing in inside a minute after Rangers failed to clear their lines.

But QPR fought back and, after a spell of pressure, equalised just before half time through Conor Washington’s close-range finish.

While it wasn’t a vintage performance from the hosts, Matt Ritchie looked to have earned them the win after the break when he rose to power in in a towering header at the Gallowgate End.

But they were cruelly denied all three points when Clark's misjudged header wrong-footed Darlow late on and levelled the scores at the death.

The hosts got off to the perfect start when, with just under 40 seconds on the clock, Shelvey fired home the opener.

Isaac Hayden powered through two challenges on the left-hand side of the area and crossed from the byline. The centre was headed away, but only as far as former Liverpool playmaker Shelvey, who gleefully blasted home from the edge of the box to give his side the perfect start.

But Ian Holloway’s side responded well, and Australian midfielder Massimo Luongo fired a shot just past Karl Darlow’s post five minutes later after collecting Jake Bidwell’s pass.

Another break from the visitors saw Luongo feed forward Washington over the top, and when he squared for Pawel Wszolek it looked as though the R’s might have been about to draw level. The Polish midfielder took too long to get his shot away, though, and United hurried back to avert the danger.

Darlow was called into action after quarter of an hour, diving to his left to keep out Luongo’s header from Washington’s inswinging cross before an error from Yoan Gouffran on the edge of the box gave Luongo another sight of goal. His shot required a timely block from Paul Dummett, who threw himself in the way of the ex-Swindon man’s goal-bound effort.

And two minutes before the break, the visitors were rewarded for their pressure. Bidwell’s well-struck shot from the edge of the box was blocked in front of goal, and Northern Ireland frontman Washington was quickest to the loose ball to prod home the leveller.

Ciaran Clark headed a Shelvey corner over the bar soon after the restart, but QPR were still a threat on the break, and Dummett’s miscontrol allowed them an opportunity to take the lead. It fell to Wszolek, but his shot was straight at Darlow.

But then, on 54 minutes, United seized the advantage. Hayden sent in a fine cross to the back post, where Ritchie produced a wonderful leap to get above Darnell Furlong and plant an unstoppable header past Alex Smithies and into the top right-hand corner.

They could have gone further ahead soon after, after Ritchie’s header was blocked and Shelvey whipped in a shot which Smithies parried to safety.

Captain Jamaal Lascelles then had a sight of goal, pulling his effort wide of the target after Gouffran had touched substitute Samm Ameobi’s wayward strike into his path, and Gouffran was denied by Smithies after he connected with Hayden’s low cross from the left as the improving Magpies threatened to move further ahead.

And Ayoze Perez then squandered a huge chance to do just that just over 15 minutes from time. Racing on to Hayden’s through ball, the Spaniard only had Smithies to beat, but he couldn’t beat the R’s stopper, who clutched his effort at the second attempt.

Perez then robbed debutant Sean Goss just outside the Rangers box, but failed to capitalise on that opening, overhitting his cross when a shot looked a better option.

And it proved costly when, inside the final minute of normal time, former Magpie Kazenga Lualua whipped in a cross from the left and Clark inadvertently glanced past a stranded Darlow.