Substitute Stuart Elliott's late double earned Coca-Cola Championship strugglers Hull a 2-1 win against 10-man QPR.

Both sides are in desperate need for points given the proximity between themselves and the relegation zone.

But for a long time it looked like Rangers were going to pull off a classic smash-and-grab raid after Dexter Blackstock scored in first-half injury-time.

Blackstock cashed in on Lee Cook's fine cross and Bo Myhill's bad mistake to give Rangers an unlikely advantage given the dominance of Hull in the first half.

Phil Brown's team remained in the ascendancy after the interval and scored the goals their efforts deserved when Elliott made an emphatic impact from off the substitutes' bench.

The Northern Ireland international side-footed in the equaliser before heading home the winner in injury-time against a QPR side who also had Cook dismissed for two bookable offences late in the game.

Hull began brightly and should have taken the lead after 22 minutes when centre-back Michael Turner dragged a 10-yard effort wide after QPR failed to deal with Dean Marney's corner.

John Gregory's men were then found wanting when Damion Stewart's feeble header back to Royce was snaffled up by the onrushing Steve McPhee, whose attempted lob arrowed just over the crossbar.

Gregory's game plan hit a snag shortly afterwards when captain Marcus Bignot suffered an injury and had to be replaced by Finnish debutant Sam Timoska, who was drafted in at left-back.

Despite that setback, Rangers rallied towards the end of the first half and caught Hull in disarray with their only real attack before the break.

Myhill made a mess of Cook's left-wing cross and Blackstock bundled the ball into the back of the net from close range.

Hull came out fighting after the restart and came close to an equaliser when Nicky Forster, who replaced Nick Barmby at the interval, sliced a fierce left-foot hit into the side-netting.

Fortune then twice favoured the visitors when Marney's free-kick from the left of the penalty box deflected off Rangers' wall and onto the outside of the right-hand post.

With Hull continuing to boss proceedings, the woodwork again came to QPR's rescue when Turner's thumping header off Marney's corner rattled off the crossbar and away to safety.

The away team eventually ran out of luck late on when the excellent Marney sent over a perfect cross to Elliott, who slammed the ball home from inside the six-yard box.

QPR's faltering finish to the game was compounded when Cook was sent-off for dissent by referee Nigel Miller, whose inconsistencies ran parallel to this unpredictable game of football.

Elliott was to have the final word, however, with a deft header off another brilliant Marney delivery which enabled Hull to move level on points with a QPR side who can have few complaints.

Hull Myhill, Ricketts, Turner, Delaney, Dawson, Marney,Ashbee, Livermore (Elliott 80), McPhee (Duffy 67), Parkin,Barmby (Forster 46).

Subs Not Used: Duke, Coles.

Booked: Parkin, Ashbee, Livermore.

Goals: Elliott 85, 90.

QPR Royce, Bignot (Timoska 31), Stewart, Mancienne, Kanyuka,Cook, Lomas, Smith, Bircham (Baidoo 61), Ray Jones,Blackstock (Furlong 76).

Subs Not Used: Cole, Bailey.

Sent Off: Cook (87).

Booked: Blackstock, Timoska, Cook, Lomas.

Goals: Blackstock 45.

Att: 19,791

Ref: N Miller (Co Durham).