IT WAS not so much 'New World' as 'Same Old Story' for Argyle in their first Championship home match of the season.

The transfer of power within the boardroom this summer has been a breath of fresh air for the Pilgrims.

A series of fan-friendly ideas and initiatives have been launched, under the 'New World' banner.

But, the bottom line for any football club, are the performances of the team on the pitch, especially those in home matches.

And there has not been much to cheer for the supporters in recent times.

Argyle won only seven of their 23 home Championship matches last season as they narrowly escaped relegation.

And they will have to play a lot better than they did against QPR on Saturday to improve on that record this term.

Argyle put in a dreadful first half display and only trailed 1-0 at the break because of some fine goalkeeping from Romain Larrieu.

Perhaps QPR were lulled into a false sense of security.

Whatever the reason, the visitors were nowhere near as impressive in the second half and Argyle started to apply some pressure on the visitors.

Their endeavours were rewarded with an equaliser in the third minute of stoppage time.

It came courtesy of an own goal from Kaspars Gorkss, after QPR were undone by a long throw-in into their penalty area.

There was relief all around Home Park that defeat in the first home match of the season had been avoided.

But Argyle manager Paul Sturrock must still have been bitterly disappointed with how totally ineffective his team were before half-time.

For the third successive match this season, he opted to start with a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Argyle created several excellent chances, and played some fluent football, when they drew 1-1 at Crystal Palace.

Even in the 2-1 defeat away to Gillingham in the Carling Cup last Tuesday, the Pilgrims were always an attacking threat.

But, in their first home match of the season, Argyle could not get into their stride at all.

They ended up resorting to hit-and-hope tactics aimed towards Rory Fallon.

The striker did not have one of his better games, although he was not alone in that respect by any means.

And that made it all too easy for Gorkss and his centre-back partner Fitz Hall.

Sturrock had little option but to try a new system in the second half, and he went with 4-3-3.

On-loan Celtic striker Cillian Sheridan also came on as a substitute for Steve MacLean.

Sheridan, on his Argyle debut, played wide on the left in attack, with Jamie Mackie on the right and Fallon in the centre.

And it was the newcomer who provided the impetus for the hosts to put in a better second half showing.

Sheridan went close to scoring a couple of times – once with a glancing header and the other time with an angled shot.

His obvious enthusiasm also seemed to inspire his team-mates.

Yet, for all that, Rangers seemed destined to secure their first Championship away win since the end of January.

It took a superb save from Larrieu to prevent QPR substitute Rowan Vine from making the scoreline 2-0 in the 87th minute.

But Argyle, to their credit, kept applying pressure and, finally, the visitors' defence cracked, deep into stoppage time.

The hosts had gone into the game boosted by the return from injury of skipper Carl Fletcher and Timar.

But they made a slow start to the contest and, gradually, QPR started to take control, with former Argyle midfielder Akos Buzsaky heavily involved for them.

Buzsaky forced a diving save out of Larrieu from a 30-yard free-kick in the 17th minute. The Hungarian then fired over the crossbar from another set piece after Fletcher had tripped the tricky Wayne Routledge.

Rangers were carrying all the attacking threat and Larrieu had to be at his best to prevent them from scoring.

First he made a stunning low save to keep out a fierce first-time shot from Routledge in the 30th minute.

Soon afterwards, QPR's on-loan Tottenham midfielder Adel Taarabt unlocked the Argyle defence with a slick one-two with Buzsaky.

Taarabt had only Larrieu to beat, but his close range shot was blocked by the French 'keeper.

Sturrock must have hoped his side could hold out until half-time.

But Rangers took the lead, and deservedly so, in the 43rd minute with a goal from Iceland international striker Heidar Helguson.

Taarabt cut inside and tried a shot which deflected off Timar into the path of Helguson.

He reacted smartly as he headed home from eight yards out, with Argyle appealing in vain for offside.

The lively Taarabt almost added a second goal for QPR in the 55th minute.

Many inside Home Park thought his 20-yard shot had flown into the net and bounced out again.

But it had actually hit the stanchion behind the goal, and the scoreline remained 1-0.

Sheridan sent an angled shot narrowly wide after being set up by on-loan Blackburn Rovers midfielder Alan Judge.

Fallon was also well off target with a far post header in the 69th minute, with the Pilgrims appealing unsuccessfully for handball by a QPR defender.

Craig Noone and Karl Duguid were sent on as substitutes by Sturrock in the closing stages, with Judge and Jim Paterson making way for them.

Larrieu once again came to the rescue for Argyle in the 87th minute.

Rangers' substitute Rowan Vine raced clear of the Pilgrims' defence but his shot was brilliantly saved by Larrieu.

Referee Roger East added on five minutes of stoppage time and Argyle piled on the pressure.

Sheridan saw a goalbound shot deflect off QPR right-back Peter Ramage for a corner, which was taken by Noone.

He curled the ball into the penalty area and Timar had two goal attempts cleared off the line, by Hogan Ephraim and Gavin Mahon respectively.

QPR hacked the ball out of play for a throw-in, which was hurled towards the near post by Argyle left-back Gary Sawyer.

The ball was flicked on by Fallon and it hit Gorkss before bouncing into the net.

Argyle were elated to have snatched a draw, while Rangers were left to reflect on their inability to finish off the hosts when they had the chance.