Craig Hignett's dramatic injury-time penalty gave Barnsley a share of the points against unlucky QPR at Oakwell.

The Tykes skipper's coolly-taken spot-kick cancelled out Matthew Rose's impressive first-half opener for the visitors who also twice hit the crossbar through Mikkel Beck and Stuart Wardley.

Despite the late strike Barnsley have still only taken two points from a possible 12 since thrashing Blackburn 5-1 in January - a result which seemed to suggest they were capable of an automatic promotion spot.

But judging from this performance Dave Bassett's men will be looking nervously over their shoulders as they try to maintain their position in the play-off zone.

Rangers can count themselves particularly unlucky not to have left Oakwell with all three points as they dominated the first half and kept Barnsley at bay for almost all of the second period.

Rangers went ahead two minutes before half time when Rose latched on to Gavin Peacock's excellent chipped pass before volleying past advancing Barnsley goalkeeper Kevin Miller into the top corner of the net.

But the Londoners were denied all three points when substitute Georgi Hristov, who replaced Bruce Dyer, was bundled over in the box by Karl Ready and Craig Hignett obliged from the penalty spot, keeping his nerve to send Harper the wrong way.

Earlier in the first half from a similar position to Rose, Beck had sent a looping shot past Miller only to see the ball cannon back off the crossbar.

Barnsley had failed to cope with the visitors' neat passing game with Jermaine Darlington and Stuart Wardley impressive throughout and the Tykes were not helped by the absence of four key players.

Captain Nicky Eaden was taken ill overnight while Matty Appleby failed a late fitness test and joined the suspended pair of Neil Shipperley and Darren Barnard on the sidelines.

Loan signing Beck should have doubled the visitors lead after an hour when he broke free of the Barnsley off-side trap but shot very tamely wide.

Barnsley improved in the second half and went close on several occasions with Mike Sheron, playing against his former club, blasting high and wide from 15 yards and Eric

Tinkler and Robin Van Der Laan both having headers well saved.

But a superb run from promising Rangers youngster Darlington allowed him to cross for Wardley whose header was tipped against the crossbar by Miller.

Barnsley had almost drawn level when Harper denied them on several occasions in the second half but there was nothing the Rangers keeper could do when Hignett's fine run into the penalty area ended with his cross-cum-shot grazing the top of the crossbar.

Hristov wasted a glorious opening to rescue a point for his side in the 88th minute when from 12 yards out his curled shot went narrowly wide of the far post but he made amends by winning his side the dramatic late penalty.

Barnsley: Miller, Curtis, Brown, Morgan, Chettle, Tinkler, Hignett, Van Der Laan (McClare 66), Thomas, Dyer (Hristov 69), Sheron.

Subs Not Used: Bullock, Barker, Tuttle.

Booked: Thomas, Van Der Laan.

Goals: Hignett 90 pen.

QPR: Harper, Darlington, Ready, Baraclough, Rose, Peacock, Kulcsar, Ward, Kiwomya (Murray 89), Wardley, Beck (Slade 90).

Subs Not Used: Miklosko, Rowland, Plummer.

Booked: Ready, Baraclough.

Goals: Rose 43.

Att: 14,212

Ref: M Ryan (Preston).