Queens Park Rangers booked their place in the Championship playoff final this evening courtesy of a 2-1 victory over Wigan Athletic after extra time.
The Latics took the lead after just nine minutes when James Perch tapped home from close range after good work from James McClean.
McClean then missed a golden chance to put the game to bed in the second half, and he was punished shortly afterwards as Charlie Austin levelled the scores from the penalty spot.
Austin was on hand again in extra time to prod the ball past the keeper from close range and send the Hoops to Wembley, where they will face Derby County on May 24.
You can read how an enthralling 120 minutes of Championship action unfolded with Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.
Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for the Championship playoff semi-final second leg between Queens Park Rangers and Wigan Athletic at Loftus Road. One of these teams are just 90 minutes away from the richest match in football and, with the tie finely poised after a goalless first leg, we should be in for an intriguing encounter tonight. Let's start with a look at the hosts...
The result of these playoffs will very much determine the success of QPR's season. They went into the campaign as favourites to go up automatically, but that ambition slipped away from them during the second half of the season as they struggled for consistency while Leicester City and Burnley were relentless in their results. Failure to make a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking would certainly make the 2013-14 season a failure for the Hoops.
The main reason behind the heavy expectation on their shoulders is their financial clout compared to other teams in the league. The likes of Burnley have achieved success with a shoestring budget and a small squad, but QPR are bursting with players who have Premier League experience yet have been unable to do the business in the Championship yet. Of course, should they reach Wembley and beat Derby in the final on May 24 then all will be forgotten, but it has not been as easy for them as they might have expected.
The fact that QPR have a higher wage bill than Champions League finalists and La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid must raise the question of how long the club can sustain such lavish spending without Premier League football to back it up. They do have wealthy owners, but should they decide to pull the plug then the future of QPR could very well be in doubt. For that reason, promotion to the top fli8ght is arguably more important for them than any other side.
For much of the campaign they did look capable of finishing in the top two, relying on a solid defence to keep them in and around the automatic promotion spots. However, the likes of Burnley and Derby both showed more consistency over the second half of the campaign, consigning QPR to the lottery of the playoffs. Indeed, Harry Redknapp's side finished a full 13 points behind second-placed Burnley and a whopping 22 off champions Leicester - certainly a bigger gap than they would have been expecting.
That solid defence took a few more blows over the second half of the season, but QPR still managed to end up with the fourth best record in the division, conceding just 44 times in their 46 outings. Only the top two and Brighton had a better record in the regular season, although that didn't do the Seagulls much good as they were thumped over two legs by Derby in the first semi-final.
They came into the playoffs in decent form, particularly compared to Wigan, and including the goalless draw in the first leg they have lost just once in their last six matches. Even that defeat came away to Leicester, and there is certainly no shame in losing to the champions at the King Power Stadium. Indeed, Leicester are the only team that has picked up more points in front of their own fans than QPR this season, with the Hoops amassing 51 at Loftus Road.
QPR are unbeaten in their last seven games at Loftus Road, a run that includes a 1-0 win over Wigan, while they were beaten just twice here in the league all season. Their goalscoring record in front of their own fans is good too having found the back of the net in each of their last 12 home league games. With a good defence to fall back on, they may only need the one tonight.
Wigan will be looking to be more clinical in front of goal tonight than they were on Friday. In a match that saw little goalmouth action, Marc-Antoine Fortune was guilty of missing a very good chance, and they can't afford to waste such good opportunities tonight. QPR's defence is formidable, particularly at home, and chances will surely be at a premium for the Latics.
However, this is essentially knockout football right now and Wigan have become quite adept at that in recent times. A remarkable run to win the FA Cup last season was followed up by another journey to the semi-finals this year, along with a spell in the Europa League. That experience could be vital tonight, although there are plenty of wily old heads in the QPR team too.
On the flip side, fatigue could prove to be a concern for Wigan. This will be their 61st match of the season, which is more than any other team in the top four tiers of English football. They have suffered some long-term injuries to some key players throughout the campaign, but in the long run that could actually prove to be a good thing as they will be fresher now fit than they would have been had the played the whole season.
Despite a superb second half of the season under Uwe Rosler, the Latics do not come into the playoffs in good form. Including Friday's first leg, they have won just one of their last five matches and have failed to score in three of them. That shyness in front of goal was evident in the first leg as the struggled to break a stubborn QPR defence down, so they will look to regain their scoring touch tonight.
They are also in shaky form away from home, having won just one of their last five games on the road, losing three and drawing the remaining one. They lost to Blackburn at Ewood Park in their last away game on the final day of the season, going down by the odd goal in a seven-goal thriller. However, they do have the sixth best away record in the Championship this season, with 30 points from 23 games.
They have also shown that they are more than capable of beating anyone on their day. Their away scalps this season include the likes of Manchester City, Cardiff City and the other two playoff candidates Derby and Brighton. They also took Arsenal all the way to penalties at Wembley in what would constitute another away day for them, although the national stadium has become more of a second home in the last year. Victory tonight would send Wigan to Wembley for the fifth time in a year having been there for the FA Cup semis and final last season, the Community Shield at the start of this campaign and the FA Cup semis a few weeks ago.
If they can rediscover the sort of form they showed when Uwe Rosler first took over then they will be very hard to stop in the playoffs. The Latics were 14th when the German arrived and have since won 15 and drawn seven - including the first leg of this tie - of their 29 league games.
TEAM NEWS: Right, the teams are in for both sides and the big news comes from the QPR camp as Ravel Morrison is dropped to the bench after an ineffective first leg. Kevin Doyle and Niko Kranjcar come in for the hosts, with Traore the other man to make way. Wigan, meanwhile, drop out-of-form striker Fortune and welcome James McClean into the starting XI. Full team news coming right up...
QPR STARTING XI: Green; Simpson, Dunne, Onuoha, Hill; O'Neil, Barton, Kranjcar, Hoilett; Austin, Doyle
QPR SUBS: Murphy, Henry, Yun, Benayoun, Morrison, Zamora, Hughes
WIGAN STARTING XI: Carson; Perch, Boyce, Caldwell, Kiernan, Beausejour; McArthur, Gomez; McManaman, McClean, Maloney
WIGAN SUBS: Al Habsi, Crainey, Espinoza, Barnett, Collison, Maynard, Waghorn
So, what can we make of those two teams? Well, it is no surprise to see Redknapp bring Doyle and Kranjcar back into the starting XI. He set up to frustrate in Friday's first leg, more intent on taking a clean sheet back to Loftus Road than a lead. His game plan worked, and now he is evidently going for a more attacking option with two strikers.
Alongside Doyle up front is Charlie Austin, who is the team's top scorer and key player tonight. He was barely involved in the first leg as so much emphasis was put on defence for QPR, but he has the ability to take any chances that come his way so Wigan will need to keep tight on him. He will also be relatively fresh having missed a spell towards the end of the season through injury. While that injury played a big part in QPR slipping away from automatic promotion, they will be happy to have him back fit and firing for the playoffs.
Behind him is a midfield teeming with experience, and one that would not look out of place in the Premier League. Barton has marshalled his midfield well all season, with the likes of O'Neil working hard to contribute both defensively and in attack. In Kranjcar and Hoilett they have two players capable of unlocking the Wigan defence tonight, and I certainly expect them to pose more of an attacking threat than they did on Friday.
As impressive as QPR's midfield and striking options are, it is the defensive that they have relied upon for the vast majority of these season. As with the midfield, there is plenty of experience back there and they will know all about the riches that await them in the Premier League. Wigan couldn't break them down last week and they will want to be as solid at the back tonight, even if they are likely to get a little less help from the more-attacking midfield.
As for Wigan, they once again name Carson in goal, with the former Liverpool man starting his fourth consecutive match. Al Habsi has been the number one choice for the vast majority of the season, but Carson appears to have ousted him right at the end of the campaign. The Latics can also boast Premier League experience in defence, and Caldwell in particular is a welcome inclusion after he missed a large chunk of the season through injury.
Further forward, Rosler have opted for an interesting formation, with no recognised striker. James McArthur and Jordi Gomez are expected to patrol the middle with the wing-backs from the five-man defence supplying the width. Gomez in particular is also a threat going forward and, if he can sneak into the hole unnoticed, he could be a key figure for the visitors tonight.
Fortune's exclusion from the team is no real surprise, with the striker having a poor first leg and only scoring five times in 49 games this season. However, to see him out of the squad entirely is a bit of a shock. Joining him out of the squad is top scorer Nick Powell, who is still suffering from illness and a slight hamstring injury. McManaman, Maloney and McClean can all be game-changers on their day and are likely to keep the QPR defence busy, but none of them are recognised strikers. It will be interesting to see who plays furthest forward.
PREDICTION: Okay, we're 10 minutes from kickoff at Loftus Road, so it's about time I made a prediction for this match! The first leg went pretty much as expected, with both sides erring on the side of caution, but I expected tonight's match to be more open. It is rarely a goalfest between these two sides and I don't expect one tonight, but we should at least get more than the goalless draw on Friday! I'm going to go for a 1-1 draw, and then Wigan to win on penalties.
Wigan do not have a great record against the Hoops in recent years, failing to win any of their last six meetings with them. Their last victory came in 2011, when Franco di Santo scored twice in a Premier League clash. There has only been one goal in the three meetings between the two sides this season, with QPR edging the corresponding regular season fixture 1-0 in March. Both games at the DW Stadium ended goalless.
Some good news for QPR going into tonight's match is that Wigan remain the only team in the top eight of the Championship that they have not lost to this season. A draw may not be enough for the Hoops tonight, however, as extra time and penalties would wait in that instance. Remember, away goals do not count in the playoffs so, while 0-0 in the first leg hands the advantage to the hosts, it is only a very slim advantage.
The last time the away side won this fixture was more than 10 years ago, when Wigan edged a 1-0 victory back in the old Division Two, now League One. However, a draw has been the most common result between the two sides in the fixture's history, and that could be enough for the Latics tonight. Both teams were, of course, relegated from the Premier League together last season, so they are bidding for an immediate return to the top flight.
A reminder that the winners of this match tonight will face Derby County in the Championship playoff final at Wembley on May 24. It has been dubbed the most lucrative game in football, with a place in the Premier League and the untold riches that go with it at stake, so there is plenty to fight for. In terms of managers, Rosler reached the League One playoff final with Brentford last season, while this is Redknapp's first taste of the playoffs at any level.
KICKOFF: Wigan get us underway slightly later than planned due to traffic problems around the ground. One of these two teams are a game away from Wembley, who can make it there?
Wigan look to make a quick and lively start, getting straight at the QPR defence in the opening minute. McClean, who is the man playing furthest forward at the start, gets the better of Onuoha but is then crowded out.
At the other end QPR win an early free kick in a crossing position, and Barton whips it in towards the back post. Perch is well positioned to intercept, however, knocking it behind for a corner.
SHOT! From the corner Carson manages to battles against a crowd of players around him to get just enough on the ball to send it out for a throw. The ball eventually finds its way to Doyle, who takes a touch before unleashing a powerful shot from 25 yards that flies a few yards over the top. Decent effort.
QPR are seeing more of the ball in these early stages, but Wigan are set up to close them down quickly and high up the field. Still no chances of speak of, but there is a good feeling to the game after the opening exchanges. The crowd are certainly up for it.
The hosts have already shown more attacking intent in the first half of this game than they did in the opening 45 minutes on Friday. They have approached the two matches with completely different game plans.
GOAL! QPR 0-1 Wigan (James Perch)
The breakthrough comes after just nine minutes as Wigan take the lead! It comes at the end of their best spell of possession so far, with McClean spinning away from his man and fizzing a fine low cross into the box. Perch gets in front of his man and has a simple finish from close range to hand the advantage to the Latics.
How can QPR respond to that? It is the first goal that they have conceded to Wigan in their fourth meeting this season, and now the hosts will need to take a few more risks as they look for a breakthrough of their own. They have started this game fairly well, though, so Redknapp won't be panicking just yet.
It is Wigan who has assumed control of the game after that opener, and Jordi Gomez does well to win a free kick off Barton in a good crossing position. What can they make of this?
Nothing. It is a really disappointing delivery from Maloney as he over-hits his cross towards an empty space at the back post, and the ball rolls out harmlessly for a throw.
Important defending from Boyce as he puts a very dangerous cross behind for a corner after Caldwell had let it go at the near post. It was a superb delivery from Kranjcar, with Caldwell afraid to touch it in case he turned it into his own net. It was risky from the Wigan defender, but he just about got away with it.
The opening 15 minutes of the game has seen possession split exactly down the middle between these two sides, which will delight Rosler. QPR look to be gaining a bit of control over proceedings before Wigan took the lead, and the Latics have prevented a swift counter-strike from their hosts.
QPR are now beginning to gain a bit of control over the game again, with Wigan forced into long spells of defence at the moment. However, the hosts are yet to get the likes of Austin and Kranjcar into dangerous positions.
QPR want a penalty for a handball against James McArthur, but there is no way that Mark Clattenburg could have seen that. Even if he did. he was right not to award the spot kick as it appeared to strike the chest of the Wigan man. The incident came about after Carson had come for the ball and missed it from a corner.
Wigan could do with just getting hold of the ball and keeping it for a bit now. QPR are forcing them back at the moment and, while the visiting defence is holding firm so far, they won't want the hosts to get any momentum. The home fans, meanwhile, have been silenced.
YELLOW CARD! James McClean goes into the book, and it is a brilliant decision from the referee as the Wigan man threw himself to the ground inside the area. He nipped in to steal the ball away from Green after O'Neil had sold the keeper short with a pass-back, but instead of staying on his feet having rounded the keeper he went down looking for a penalty. It was a blatant dive.
SAVE! Poor defending from the hosts as Perch is allowed to get down the right flank and send a scuffed cross towards the edge of the box that gets all the way through. There are a number of blue and white shirts just standing watching the ball as Maloney comes racing in, but his deflected effort is well saved low to his right by Green.
Onuoha was one of the defenders throwing himself in the way of that Maloney effort, and he is feeling the consequences now. He got caught by a combination of Maloney and Hill, opening up a cut on his head. He is getting bandaged up with the Terry Butcher look now.
A brief hint of an opening for the hosts as Austin peels off his marker to get on the end of a Doyle cross at the back post. He can only knock it back into the middle, however, and Wigan scramble it clear before Barton can reach the ball.
Kranjcar is fortunate to get away without a yellow card for a rash challenge in midfield, while Wigan waste the resulting free kick with an over-hit cross from Gomez. That is twice they have wasted good crossing position now.
Mark Clattenburg is being quite lenient at the moment. Kranjcar lost the ball on the edge of the Wigan box before Jordi Gomez broke free and was brought down around 25 yards from the QPR goal. On both occasions many referees may have blown, but Clattenburg was right to allow play to continue. Good refereeing.
Agonising for QPR as Kranjcar clips a lovely corner into the box that somehow goes all the way through and out for another corner. All that one needed was a touch and the hosts would have been level.
SAVE! Super save from Carson to keep his side in the lead. Kranjcar comes to life on the edge of the box, drifting past Jordi Gomez before smashing a great effort towards goal. However, Carson shows really quick reactions to get a strong hand to the ball and push it away.
Wigan are becoming less and less of an attacking threat in this game as they look to hold on to their lead. It is QPR who are asking all of the questions at the moment, and that is a dangerous tactic for Wigan to get involved with. They need to relieve some of this pressure.
WIGAN SUB: An early change for the visitors as James McArthur is forced off with what is presumably an injury. He is replaced by Roger Espinoza.
CLOSE! The hosts are getting closer and closer here! After Gomez is forced into a rushed clearance pretty much on his own line, QPR come forward again, with Hoilett slipping a pass to O'Neil in the box. The midfielder takes a touch before aiming an early effort towards the bottom corner, but it whistle a yard or so wide.
OFF THE LINE! Wigan survive again! QPR have a corner and Austin rises highest in the box to plant a firm header towards the bottom corner. However, a combination of McClean and Carson get it away, with the clearance bouncing back off Onuoha and out for a goal kick.
It really is all QPR at the moment, and Wigan will now just be trying to hold on until half time. QPR are enjoying more sights of goal now and looks threatening every time they come forward. Wigan, meanwhile, don't seem able to create anything in attack at the moment.
CHANCE! Half a chance for the hosts as a cross comes in from the right that Hill attacks but then leaves for Austin behind him. The striker takes a touch but then rushes his effort, slicing it wildly off target.
O'Neil is in a bit of pain here as he is caught by a stray elbow from Maloney during an aerial challenge. It was nothing malicious from the Wigan man, who only had eyes for the ball, but O'Neil looks like he is really struggling.
O'Neil is finally back up on his feet with a tissue stuffed in his mouth to stop the bleeding. It looks like he has lost a tooth or two in that collision.
There will be five additional minutes at the end of this first half. O'Neil, meanwhile, is back on the field.
SHOT! The ball breaks to McClean around 25 yards from goal and from the moment he picks it up he only has one thought in his mind. Hill tries his best to prevent the shot but he merely delays it, with McClean eventually firing his effort over the top.
SHOT! Doyle goes for goal himself at the other end, but he drags his shot well wide of the post. Austin had done well to keep hold of the ball and tee the striker up, but the strike was not the cleanest.
HALF TIME: Queens Park Rangers 0-1 Wigan Athletic
It is advantage Wigan at the halfway stage of this second leg, then, with James Perch's ninth-minute goal giving the Latics a 1-0 lead at the break. As things stand, they will be making yet another trip to Wembley on May 24, but Harry Redknapp will be telling his side that there is still a long way to go in this one. They pushed for an equaliser towards the end of that half and will fancy their chances of registering tonight.
Perch has got a knack for important goals this season. Today's was just his second of the campaign, but the first came in the memorable win over Manchester City at the Etihad. In truth, he simply couldn't miss this one as the chance was put on a plate for him by McClean, who whipped a delightful cross into the middle for the former Newcastle man to tap home.
McClean was also involved in another major talking point in the first half as he latched on to an under-hit pass-back from O'Neil. He got to the ball before Green but proceeded to throw himself to the ground inside the area instead of looking to slot the ball into an empty net having rounded the keeper. Mark Clattenburg was not fooled, and rightly gave the winger a yellow card for simulation.
QPR will certainly feel that there is a way back into this game, and their performance in the second half of that opening 45 minutes would back them up in that respect. They really started banging on the Wigan door as the half wore on and will feel hard done by not to be going in level. However, some desperate defending from the visitors has kept them in the lead so far.
Wigan have a formidable record when leading at half time this season, however. In the 14 matches in which they have gone into the break ahead, they are yet to drop a single point, winning all 14. This could very well be the toughest test in keeping hold of that record, but if they manage to do so then they will be taking on Derby County at Wembley on May 24 in the richest match in football.
Austin started coming into the match a little more towards the end of the half, with two chances in the final five minutes or so. The hosts need to create more chances for the clinical striker, though, and central to doing that could be getting Kranjcar on the ball more. He has shown glimpses of his undoubted quality so far but is yet to grab the game by the scruff of its neck. I wouldn't be surprised to see Ravel Morrison introduced sooner rather than later.
KICKOFF: The hosts get us back underway for a huge 45 minutes in their season. Remember, they were among the favourites to go up before the season, so an exit at the semi-final stage of the playoffs would be a major disappointment. Can they change that in this second half?
SHOT! Bright start from QPR as they win an early corner that Wigan just about get clear. The ball falls to Hoilett on the edge, and his powerful striker swerves a few yards wide.
Wigan are really struggling to get hold of the ball in the opening exchanges of this second half, with QPR on top at the moment. Still no way through for the Hoops, but the pressure is starting to build.
QPR SUB: Strange decision from Redknapp as he makes a change just five minutes into the half. Hill goes off for Yun Suk-Young, who should provide more of an attacking threat from left-back.
Redknapp certainly has other options on the bench that he can call upon if he is still needing a goal in 10 or 15 minutes. The likes of Zamora and Morrison are available, while Benayoun scored the winning goal in the corresponding fixture in March.
The QPR boss is cutting an increasingly animated figure on the touchline, urging his side forward. Wigan have got a foothold in this second half now and are containing the hosts quite well at the moment.
Superb block from Maloney! The midfielder was at full stretch to get something on the initial cross but could only clear it as far as Kranjcar on the edge of the box. The Croatian midfielder gets a good connection on his volley, but Maloney is back up and throws himself in the way of the ball.
QPR have had 80% of possession in this second half so far, which is exactly the response Redknapp would have wanted after the break. However, they are still yet to create a really good chance and Carson has not had much to do since the restart.
YELLOW CARD! Barton enters the book and he can have no complaints there. McManaman threatened to break away and ran across Barton, who took one for the team and tripped the winger. Always going to be a yellow, that.
SAVE! Important piece of goalkeeping from Carson as he pushes a dangerous cross away from his goal. Hoilett got a good angle on his delivery and shaped it towards the far post, but Carson got down well to make the stop under pressure.
YELLOW CARD! Another foul and another card as O'Neil comes in with a late challenge and high boot on Jordi Gomez. He didn't make a lot of contact with the Wigan man, but he deserves the yellow.
Wigan are looking to take as much time as possible over every goal kick and free kick now, which is beginning to to frustrate the home fans. They came for a party to celebrate a Wembley appearance but, as things stand, the season that began with such expectation will end in disappointment.
YELLOW CARD! Kranjcar is the latest name in the book for a heavy challenge on McClean as he looked to win the ball back. Again, no complaints about that one.
QPR SUB: Redknapp makes another attacking change as Bobby Zamora replaces Doyle. Doyle had been playing on the right of midfield, but you can expect Zamora go to straight up front alongside Austin.
PENALTY SHOUT! Wigan want a penalty as Perch does really well to win the ball back high up the pitch. He dives in to a challenge but wins it fairly as the ball drops to McManaman. The winger moves into the area before going to ground under the challenge of Barton, who just eased him off the ball. Another good decision from the referee.
CHANCE! Oh my word what a huge chance for Wigan to all but kill this game off! A little touch to McClean saw him race through on goal and, with only Green to beat from close range, he tried to poke the ball under the keeper. Green makes a vital stop and the ball bounces back up to McClean, who can't squeeze the rebound in from a tight angle as his effort comes off the outside of the post. What a huge moment that could prove to be.
QPR SUB: Final throw of the dice for Harry Redknapp as Ravel Morrison comes on for Gary O'Neil. Can the West Ham loanee make the difference here?
CLOSE! Hoilett comes close to giving QPR that vital equaliser! He works space to shoot on the edge of the box before lashing a powerful effort narrowly over the bar.
PENALTY TO QUEENS PARK RANGERS!
GOAL! QPR 1-1 Wigan (Charlie Austin)
Queens Park Rangers have their equaliser! Charlie Austin steps up to take the pressure penalty and sends Carson the wrong way, slotting it to the keeper's right cool as you like. The penalty was a stone-waller as Caldwell mistimed his challenge on Hoilett right on the edge of the box. Clattenburg got it right again. He is having a very good game.
WIGAN SUB: Barnett comes on for Caldwell in the immediate aftermath of that goal, with the latter hurting himself while tackling Hoilett for the penalty. Just before the goal they also brought Waghorn on for McManaman.
SAVE! Waghorn almost makes an early impact as the ball breaks for him inside the box and he sends a decent effort towards the bottom corner. It is not an easy one for Green on a slippery surface, but he gets down and holds on to it well.
There was an interesting situation just after the goal as Carson went to smash the ball into the stands in frustration, but only served to kick Zamora, who had mipped in before him to get the ball back. It was a painful one for the striker, but he is battling on. Caldwell, meanwhile, look distraught in the dugout with an ice pack on his knee. That injury doesn't look promising.
Half a chance for the visitors as QPR fail to deal with a corner into the area. The ball drops at the feet of Waghorn who takes a swing at it, but a number of blue and white shirts dive in the way to make the block.
QPR have the chance to counter as Zamora spreads the ball to Austin. However, there are no shortage of Wigan players racing back to defend and the striker is forced to cut back, eventually being crowded out. The ball comes out to Morrison, who fizzes a low strike well wide from range.
CHANCE! Great work from Zamora as he refuses to give up on a seemingly nothing long ball forward. He holds off three Wigan defenders before trying to lift the ball over a stranded Carson, but his effort lands on the roof of the net.
It will be interesting to see how both managers approach these closing stages. QPR are seeing more of the ball right now, so Rosler could be tempted to hold on for extra time.
SAVE! Huge save from Carson as he dives low to his left to deny Barton. The ball had been rolled back to the QPR skipper on the edge of the box by Hoilett, and he side-footed it with power towards the corner. There was plenty of movement on the ball, making Carson's save even more impressive.
Wigan have a good spell here as Jordi Gomez sees a powerful effort blocked before Maloney lifts the ball over the defence for Perch. The goalscorer doesn't look like he will get there but manages to stick a leg out and hook the ball into a dangerous area, but Carson is there to make the interception.
Wigan are chasing a winners just as much as QPR in these closing stages, which is making for some end-to-end stuff. I wouldn't want to pick a winner from this one right now!
The fourth official's board reveals four minutes to be added on to the 90, but if nothing changes then we will have a further 30 through extra time.
Good footwork from Maloney as he dips a shoulder and then cuts back past Kranjcar, drawing the foul from the QPR man. Wigan now have a free kick in a very promising position, and Maloney will surely take it himself.
It is Maloney, but Wigan dreams of a fairytale ending are dashed as he drills an effort into the bottom of the wall. I'm surprised he didn't look to bend that up and over the wall as he certainly has the ability.
END OF 90 MINUTES: Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Wigan Athletic
Extra time it is then! Nothing can separate QPR and Wigan once again as they play out an entertaining 1-1 draw over the 90 minutes. If the next half an hour still isn't enough to determine a winner then penalties will decide who goes on to face Derby in the Championship playoff final on May 24.
The goals came from James Perch in the first half and Charlie Austin from the spot after the break. Wigan also missed a glorious chance when McClean was through on goal, only for Green to make a huge save before the winger hit the outside of the post with the rebound.
KICKOFF: We're back underway at Loftus Road as these two teams enter extra time. Both managers have made all three subs, so the 22 out there will have to fight through the fatigue now.
Fatigue must be a major concern for Wigan especially. They have played more games than any other English side this season due to their FA Cup run and Europa League participation, so QPR will be looking to take advantage of any lapses from their undoubtedly tired players.
Simpson is lucky to get away without a yellow for a clumsy challenge on Espinoza, while Wigan again waste the free kick from a decent crossing position. Their deliveries from set pieces haven't been great this evening.
GOAL! QPR 2-1 Wigan (Charlie Austin)
Out of seemingly nothing, QPR take the lead! A throw to Zamora saw the sub just help the ball on its way into the area, and Austin was quick off the mark to get in front of Barnett and poke home from close range. Barnett was caught on his heels there, and you can't afford to switch off for one second against Austin. What a goal that could prove to be.
Austin has been the main man all season for QPR and could well be his most important contribution yet. The top scorer has two for the match now and is on a hat-trick to send his side to Wembley.
Jordi Gomez swings a free kick into the area and Barnett climbs well in the box but only succeeds in looping a header over the bar. It was a tough chance for the centre-back as he jumped too high and was forced to stoop to get to the ball.
Decent vision from Morrison as he tries to slide a clever reverse pass in for Austin, but the execution is just off and it slides through to danger. Another goal for the hosts would surely kill this game off now.
Things are looking grim for Wigan now. They are struggling to make the ball stick up front, with no recognised striker up there to bring others into play. McClean has done a decent enough job up the middle, but at the moment the QPR defence is winning the battle.
QPR have done well to slow the game down and control possession since taking the lead, preventing Wigan from getting any sort of momentum together. It has been a very good 15 minutes for the hosts.
There will be one minute of added time at the end of this first period of extra time.
HALF TIME IN EXTRA TIME: Queens Park Rangers 2-1 Wigan Athletic
Advantage QPR going into the final 15 minutes of extra time, then. Charlie Austin has got the goal that, as things stand, will send his side to Wembley. Zamora deserves credit as well, though, as he lifted the ball into a dangerous area for the prolific striker to prod home from close range. Fatigue must be ravaging this Wigan side now, who are playing in their 62nd and possibly final match of the season. QPR, meanwhile, are in a huddle ahead of the second half.
KICKOFF: QPR get us back underway for the final time tonight as they look to hold on to this one-goal lead for 15 more minutes. Can Wigan get back into it or will the hosts be off to Wembley?
SAVE! Almost the hat-trick for Austin as he strikes a volley with the outside of his boot, purposefully putting spin on it to make it dip just under the bar. Carson doesn't want to catch it in the rain, which is pouring down, so tips it over the top.
Rosler is shouting some desperate instructions from the sideline but there is nothing he can do now. He has made all three subs and now must simply hope that his side can come up with something in the remaining 12 minutes.
Wigan haven't been able to create anything of note since going behind, and they don't really look like doing so either. The QPR defence is coping with everything quite comfortably at the moment, but they will surely come under more pressure soon.
Wigan have another free kick in a good crossing position but curiously they choose to play it short. The eventually win a corner from the move, but that is cleared by Kranjcar at the front post.
Quick break from Wigan as Perch pounces on a careless pass from Hoilett. He slips it to McClean, who evades some desperate challenges but doesn't get his head up, instead going for goal himself when he had teammates better positioned. That was a chance to create something against a QPR defence short on numbers.
Kiernan goes into a 50-50 aerial challenge with Morrison which he wins, but Wigan are called back due to Morrison going down with a head injury. The ref has no choice but to do that in such circumstances, but Wigan aren't happy about it.
Redknapp is looking nervous on the touchline as he edges towards Wembley. He is soaked to the bone having been out of his dugout for much of the match, but he might be able to borrow an umbrella off Steve McClaren if the two meet at Wembley. QPR are two minutes from setting up a tie against McClaren's Derby now.
There will be two minutes of added time at the end of extra time here. Can Wigan do anything in the dying stages?
CLOSE! Oh my word, Wigan are inches from equalising in dramatic fashion! Kiernan gets the ball via a couple of lucky bounces and takes a wild swing at the ball from range, and his speculative effort deflects off a defenders and flies a whisker wide. So close!
FULL TIME: Queens Park Rangers 2-1 Wigan Athletic
QUEENS PARK RANGERS REACH THE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF FINAL!
The fans stream onto the field as the referee blows the full-time whistle! QPR came under some heavy pressure in the dying stages there but they held out for a 2-1 victory after extra time to set up a Championship playoff final against Derby County on May 24. It was a cracking match, and QPR have come out on top. It is the end of a long an arduous season for Wigan, for gave their all but just couldn't pip the Hoops to the post.
Right, that is all we have time for tonight! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was a thoroughly entertaining Championship playoff semi-final second leg between QPR and Wigan at Loftus Road. The Hoops came from a goal down to book their place at Wembley, although they needed extra time to do it. I will leave you with our match report and be sure to stick around for reaction, which will be on site shortly. There are plenty more playoff games to come from around the Football League this week, and we will have them all covered for you. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
Written by
Barney Corkhill
Barney Corkhill
