Shaun Maloney equalized with a perfect free kick four minutes into injury time Sunday to give Wigan a 1-1 draw against 10-man Queens Park Rangers in a crucial relegation battle that kept the London club far from safety.
Loic Remy looked to have given QPR the victory with a sublime strike on a quick counterattack in the 85th minute of a game manager Harry Redknapp had described as a must-win. But Wigan was awarded a free kick right outside the area in injury time and Maloney stepped up to send his effort over the wall and out of reach of the flailing Julio Cesar to rescue a point.
The result keeps Wigan seven points ahead of QPR, which still climbed out of last place above Reading. Wigan is below 17th-place Sunderland on goal difference with a game in hand.
Bobby Zamora was sent off in the 21st for a clumsy high challenge on Jordi Gomez.
