Newcastle 2-2 QPR: Jonjo Shelvey scores after 37 seconds but Ciaran Clark's gaffe gifts Rangers a point

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Perhaps Andros Townsend would have made a difference for Newcastle United.

Rafa Benitez spent deadline day - and the entirety of January - urging the club's hierarchy to re-sign their former winger from Crystal Palace.

They did not and, on Wednesday night, Benitez's team wore a tired and predictable look. In short, they looked in need of the fresh blood their manager craved. The Spaniard, pointedly, said he was 'surprised' by the club's failure to make a single signing last month.

A last-minute own goal by Ciaran Clark saw Newcastle squander the victory

Newcastle, though, were within a few minutes of returning to the top of the Championship. Jonjo Shelvey opened the scoring after just 37 seconds and Matt Ritchie restored their lead after Conor Washington had equalised on the stroke of half-time.

But they surrendered victory when defender Ciaran Clark - who had early received treatment for a nasty eye wound - lost his bearings and headed into his own net in the 90th minute.

Afterwards, Benitez clearly wasn't happy with events of deadline day.

'Am I surprised (we didn't make a signing)? Yes,' he said.

'Obviously I cannot change things now. We knew what we needed. We knew what we have.

'Still I don't know what happened (on deadline day). I'm disappointed but at the same time I have to concentrate on the players we have and try have to improve them as much as I can.'

Newcastle's second goal by Matt Ritchie came very much against the run of play

Ritchie arrived at the far post to loop his header back across goal and into the bottom corner

QPR boss Ian Holloway, meanwhile, came out in support of his opposite number.

'The man you've got here is different class,' he said. 'He's up there with Sir Bobby Robson.'

If the early goal was supposed to signal the start of a routine night for the hosts, then it did not. 

Far from it, in fact. Newcastle were awful for the remainder of the first half, lethargic out of possession and unimaginative with it.

Shelvey's goal, in fairness, was brilliant. Isaac Hayden crossed from the left, Jake Bidwell could only clear to the edge of the area and Shelvey smashed a first-time volley beyond Alex Smithies. 

Washington bundled home a deserved leveller for the visitors and Ritchie headed Newcastle back in front on 54 minutes from another Hayden centre. 

Both Yoan Gouffran and Ayoze Perez had chances to seal the win only to fire straight at Smithies when in on goal.

And they were to pay the price when Clark got himself in a mess from Kazenga LuaLua's cross and headed past a helpless Karl Darlow.

Jonjo Shelvey opened the scoring after just 37 seconds on Wednesday night

Midfielder Shelvey smashed a first-time volley beyond QPR goalkeeper Alex Smithies

Connor Washington was on hand to bundle home the equaliser for the visitors

A clash of heads between Clark and Jamie Mackie saw the Newcastle defender suffer a cut

The cut forced him Clark for four minutes as the Newcastle defender was patched up