Queens Park Rangers and Crystal Palace have played out a 0-0 draw in this afternoon's Premier League relegation battle at Loftus Road.

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The game went through the motions in the early stages as neither side was truly able to get going.

Charlie Austin's speculative shot straight to Julian Speroni on the quarter-hour mark the best effort in the opening salvos.

However, the action briefly sprung into life midway through the first half as Joe Ledley set up Jason Puncheon on the edge of the box, with the latter curling an effort towards goal that cannoned off the post.

Palace were dominant throughout the remainder of the first half, with QPR struggling to get into gear and unable to link up well with their forwards, but they reached the break at parity with their superior opponents.

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However, QPR nearly took the lead just four minutes after the break as Leroy Fer fired just wide from the edge of the box, after Joey Barton's cross had been cleared.

Just before the hour, Speroni had to be at his best to palm away a long-range Fer strike, while Puncheon troubled the home goal twice at the other end, but Robert Green was able to save on both occasions.

In the final few minutes of a largely tame clash, a Barton corner was only cleared as far as Junior Hoilett, who wasted his chance by slicing the ball wide.