AT one point The Great Escape was on for Wanderers but by the end, they looked more like the Great Pretenders.

After kamikaze defending had cost them a point at Brighton, Neil Lennon’s side opted to shoot themselves in the other foot against QPR as Matt Phillips strolled through after 93 minutes to drive an equaliser straight through keeper Ben Amos, silencing a home crowd that had dared to dream.

Wanderers are playing better football than at any stage of the season and in Zach Clough have a player who might – just might – be able to inspire a survival effort single-handed.

His goal midway through the second half was stunning, erasing the memory of an hour-long snooze-fest that had preceded it.

But when Lennon needed his side to be strong and see the game out they rolled out the welcome Matt, so to speak, and surrendered two priceless points in the process.

Whether the manager invited pressure by bringing on Neil Danns for Clough – who had succumbed to cramp – with 10 minutes to go can be debated. But the way Dean Moxey allowed Phillips to drive deep into Wanderers’ territory and then dive into a challenge is the kind of thing that must send Lennon nuts.

Serious questions must be asked about Amos’s effort to prevent the goal too, and it is not the first time we have pondered the keeper’s strength from long distance.

The equaliser left a sour taste in the mouth but when viewed as a whole, there is still something to be said for the way the team is scrapping right now.

Considering the mess that is unfolding off the field it is to Wanderers’ credit that they have not folded completely in this relegation battle. Jay Spearing and Darren Pratley were particularly strong against QPR in a 4-4-2 diamond that is not pleasing on the eye but is improving performances.

Rob Holding again hardly put a foot wrong in the back four, improving and maturing week on week. And he is not alone – Emile Heskey aside, this is a young squad being asked to perform an impossible task.

“We are asking kids like Rob to do men’s jobs but that’s where we are,” said Lennon after the game. “The experience will do them the world of good and they are coping really well with it.

“It’s a test of their temperament as well. The game isn’t always going to go as they want it to but they are learning as they go along.

“To be fair to Vela and Clough, they have been around it for a while now, even though we’ve missed Zach for a large part with injury. And we think we have found a very good player in Holding. There are positives to take from their performances.”

Whether it is all enough to save Wanderers remains to be seen. Much may reside on what happens in London at the High Court today.

Saturday’s game began with a minute’s applause for former chairman Phil Gartside and one that was embraced respectfully by both sets of fans. The club did a sterling tribute in the match-day programme too, it must be said.

Football from both sides in the first half was poor. Karl Henry’s over-the-top challenge on Darren Pratley was the real flashpoint and could have earned the QPR midfielder a red card. Referee Jeremy Simpson had one of those days where he did little right for either side.

It wasn’t until the final few minutes before the interval that things livened up. Clough’s attempted scissor-kick landing just the wrong side of the post before he headed into the hands of Alex Smithies from close range.

Liam Feeney was employed in a more central position alongside Heskey and his energy in closing down the QPR back four hassled a fair few mistakes. The Wanderers man was also dreadfully unlucky to be flagged offside after a long ball from Moxey dropped over the head of Grant Hall and put him clean through on goal.

Gary Madine had been expected to start but he came on for the injured Heskey to good effect, providing an extra bit of movement up front.

QPR had woken from their slumber too. James Perch bundled a cross from lively sub Absenasser El Khayati just wide of the post when he should have put a shot on target.

Clough then lifted the gloom completely with a moment of pure quality. Wanderers had played the ball around well in midfield, with Moxey, Mark Davies and Gary Madine combining but after the ball fell to Clough on the edge of the box he opened up his body and curled a quite brilliant shot round Smithies and off the underside of the bar.

Fans reacted instantly, striking up the Great Escape.

Wanderers maybe should have had a man advantage in the final stages after Henry went in hard again on Pratley. Fans shouted for a second yellow card but referee Simpson was lenient and three minutes later QPR brought Henry off for the more attacking Tjarron Chery.

It had been more than 12 months since Wanderers won three home wins on spin and the live league table showed their best position since end of October.

Lennon brought Clough off for Danns and things started to get panicky. Wanderers were trying to keep the ball in the corner but when they really needed some professional guile, they didn’t get it. QPR should never have been able to break out of defence as quickly as they did for the equalising goal but credit to Phillips too, who had been one of the few real positives on the day for the flamboyant boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

“Bolton scored a worldie goal and beautifully taken,” said the Dutchman afterwards. “Sometimes you have to say 'well done to the lad.’ He is a good, little player.

“He was lucky to get the ball there but his execution was very good.

“But I am pleased we didn’t feel we were defeated. We kept trying and got our creative players on the ball and Phillips got the goal.

“I only wished it was earlier and we were winning 1-0. If we had scored first they would have been more desperate, more than they were, and there would be bigger spaces.”