The hosts were by far the better team in the first half and they took a deserved early lead through Martin Rowlands.

Lee Martin hit the post just before half-time and Stoke improved markedly after the break, but they could only find an equaliser through Mamady Sidibe after Sampsa Timoska had seen red.

Stoke got off to the worst imaginable start to fall behind after just six minutes.

It came from a free-kick after Salif Diao fouled Adam Bolder on the left wing.

Rowlands stepped up to take the kick, shooting when a cross looked the more likely option, and his effort crept in past Steve Simonsen at the near post.

QPR continued to look the better side but nearly conceded an equaliser after 13 minutes.

Ricardo Fuller's shot from inside the box forced Jake Cole to turn the ball behind and Lee Hendrie's corner was dealt with by Stefan Bailey.

Hendrie also produced a shot from distance with nearly 20 minutes on the clock, but that was to prove his last meaningful action as he was withdrawn with an injury

Although QPR had nothing to play for they were certainly not taking the match lightly and tackles rained in from all angles, with Rowlands, Bailey and Dominic Shimmin all joining Jonathan Fortune and Diao in the referee's notebook - by the final whistle, the match had produced 10 yellow cards and one red.

With half-time approaching, Stoke came desperately close to equalising when Martin shot from 25 yards but his curling effort struck the outside of the post.

In first-half stoppage time, Marcus Bignot played a poor ball back towards goal and Martin nipped in, but Cole dived at his feet to deny him.

The Potters came out stronger after the break and were inches away from pulling level within moments of the restart.

Carl Hoefkens' corner was was met by Fuller's head and Dominic Matteo turned the ball towards goal, only to see it fly just over the bar.

Hoefkens' set-pieces were causing trouble for QPR, and Stoke again went close when the Belgium international picked out Fuller, whose header was straight at Cole.

Stoke did manage to find the net but Danny Higginbotham's goal was rightly ruled out for offside.

It came after Timoska became the sixth player to be shown a yellow card by referee Trevor Kettle with a foul on Fuller.

Hoefkens' centre was converted by Higginbotham but he had strayed into an offside position.

Moments later, Timoska was sent off by Kettle - Lee Martin cut inside and the Finn brought him down, earning himself a second yellow card.

Darel Russell and Fuller both failed to find the target from the edge of the box as time ran down.

But Stoke finally made the breakthrough six minutes from time when Sidibe placed Fuller's cross into the back of the net.

It was enough to earn a point for the visitors, but results elsewhere ensured their play-off dreams would have to wait another year.