Substitute Marlon Harewood's first Newcastle goal rescued a point in a 1-1 draw for the Coca-Cola Championship leaders after QPR threatened to dent their promotion charge.

The on-loan Aston Villa striker poked home Andy Carroll's 70th-minute header to cancel out Ben Watson's early opener - which deflected off Steven Taylor -and increase the Magpies' lead at the top of the table to three points.

However, the visitors will consider themselves unfortunate not to have left Tyneside with all three points on a night when the pace of winger Wayne Routledge and the movement of midfielder Watson were simply too much for their hosts.

Danny Guthrie had a first-half penalty saved by Radek Cerny after defender Damion Stewart was penalised for handball in the box as he blocked Taylor's shot, and Carroll and Kevin Nolan both went close, but QPR also had their chances.

Luke Chambers headed home a second-half Chris Cohen corner to set Nottingham Forest on their way to a deserved 2-0 win against a lacklustre and decidedly average Scunthorpe side.

Billy Davies' men dominated possession throughout and despite some wasteful finishing, secured the points - and back-to-back Coca-Cola Championship wins - with two goals in quick succession after 70 minutes, with Dexter Blackstock doubling the home side's lead after Chambers' opener.

Cohen whipped in a corner from the right which Chambers met strongly with a powerful header to make it 1-0.

And soon after the opener came the second as Paul Anderson made a burst through the middle towards the right. He eventually fired in a low cross which was met by the onrushing Blackstock who converted to make it two after 72 minutes.

Jonathan Forte was unlucky not to halve the deficit for Scunthorpe with seven minutes remaining as his strong run and shot through the middle agonisingly rebounded off the post after a deflection off Lee Camp in the Forest goal.