The mood around Loftus Road was encapsulated by a Queens Park Rangers fan sauntering into his favourite pre-match eaterie to rub his hands together and announce: "Mark Hughes kebab, anyone?" Some 65 minutes into this tussle between the Premier League's two winless wonders, with Reading ahead and QPR bottom of the table, the sentiment resonated. The atmosphere changed a minute later as Djibril Cissé scored to give his team – and his manager – a lifeline.

Averting defeat was paramount. That did not prevent a smattering of boos, and some discontent aired at Hughes's stewarship, at full time. With more than a quarter of the season gone and the win column of the table still stuck on zero, it is understandable that there are jitters in the stands. Hughes did not attempt to hide from the reality of the situation. "We are not sticking our head in the sand," he said. "Our intention is to get out of it. This was an opportunity to do that and we haven't taken it."

The Welshman had suggested a change of luck was overdue. But that was not the issue when they fell behind in the 16th minute, with the defence again suffering a sudden power cut. QPR struggled to deal with a corner, Sean Morrison looped a header on to the crossbar and the rebound fell towards Kaspars Gorkss. The Latvian centre-half did well to get his body into a shooting position and even better to thump the ball through a melee of hooped defenders. His effort was powerful enough to crunch through Júlio César's attempted save.

Gorkss's celebration was tinged with the emotion of the ex. He had been part of QPR's promotion team but was deemed surplus to requirements when investment rolled in. In the stands the visiting supporters tempered their elation with some gallows humour. "We're going to win 8-6," they chanted. They have seen enough of their team not to expect a 1-0 scoreline to last for long this season.

If QPR were hoping that Reading's enthusiasm would have been dented by their 7-5 defeat in the Capital One Cup in midweek, they were mistaken. Brian McDermott's team had abundant appetite and ferocious workrate, epitomised by the midfield pair of a buzzing Jay Tabb and confident Mikele Leigertwood. After conceding, the tension on the home team ratcheted up. You could hear it gnawing at the grumbling crowd. You could sense it in the body language of the players. Cissé rushed a shot that led to a vexed chorus.

QPR found it difficult to click. They strained to build anything constructive in the danger zone, as most of their glimmers came from individuals taking pot shots from long range. There was little reason in QPR's gameplan, little rhythm in its execution. The maverick Adel Taarabt did as much as anyone to try to drag them back into the game, taking aim from distance three times in quick succession. Hughes praised the "responsibility and maturity" shown by a player who, for all his natural talent, has not always been the most dependable.

There was more encouragement as the composed Esteban Granero whipped in a splendid free-kick, which Alex McCarthy tipped brilliantly on to the crossbar. It was the one moment of artistic merit within an agricultural first half. José Bosingwa followed up with slightly less refinement and the chance was lost.

After the break QPR began to press, peg Reading back and look as if they had more capability of wearing their opponent down. The relief was palpable when they equalised midway through the second half. Cissé deserved all the plaudits as he intuitively controlled a cross, creating the space for himself to steer into the bottom corner.

Buoyed, they went for the jugular. Taarabt's ferocious drive was palmed away by McCarthy. The Moroccan was astonished not to have won it seven minutes from the end when he latched on to the best move of the match, as Bobby Zamora and Cissé combined fluently to scythe through the Reading rearguard. Taarabt's shot was well directed and only an inspired save from McCarthy, with an outstretched leg, maintained parity.

Although Reading also need a Premier League win, they were content enough with an away point, especially as QPR had seemed the likelier victor in the latter stages. McDermott has experience of seeing Reading clamber from an unpromising position to a happy ending, and at the moment betrays no obvious concerns. "I take heart from our players. I walk into work every day and they pick me up. They have terrific spirit."

QPR's contingent trundled off with their fears about the season's prospects still rumbling on. Hughes tried to tackle the sequence without a win as calmly as he could. "The sooner it changes the better," he said. "Before the season we anticipated a really successful season. The longer this goes on the less chance of that successful season happening. We need a break."

Even those whose patience with Hughes is wearing thin could not argue with that.

Man of the match Alex McCarthy (Reading)