Another sorry Hoops Defeat to Doncaster Rovers
Rovers moved level on points with the R's in the Coca Cola Championship table courtesy of a 2-0 win at The Keepmoat Stadium.
A Damion Stewart own goal and Paul Heffernan's close range header sealed it for the hosts, who continued their fine home form against a Rangers side, who for all their endeavours, failed to find a way past Rovers custodian Neil Sullivan.
Dexter Blackstock, Mikele Leigertwood and Samuel Di Carmine were all unlucky not to find the back of the net, on a night when the R's profligacy in front of goal came back to haunt them.
Paulo Sousa made three changes for the R's first trip to The Keepmoat Stadium.
Peter Ramage, stand-in skipper Gavin Mahon and Matteo Alberti all came in to the starting XI, with Damien Delaney (foot), Jordi Lòpez and Liam Miller making way; the latter two dropping to the substitutes' bench.
The changes also resulted in an alteration in formation, with the R's reverting to an orthodox 4-4-2, with Wayne Routledge and the returning Alberti occupying the wide midfield berths.
Doncaster skipper Brian Stock missed out with a back injury, with Adam Lockwood coming in to the side at centre-half, in a 3-5-2 formation.
Striker Heffernan returned after missing out in the 3-0 defeat against Cardiff City at the weekend, partnering James Coppinger in attack.
There was a welcome sight for the 600 or so travelling R's fans before kick-off, as long-term injury victim Rowan Vine joined in with the pre-match warm-up.
Vine travelled with the squad as part of his on-going rehabilitation, and is set to feature for the R's second string in the coming fortnight.
After an even opening, it was the R's who fashioned the first chance of note in the ninth minute.
Effective link-up play involving Leigertwood and Blackstock saw the latter feed Di Carmine, whose fierce right footed drive was deflected inches wide.
From the resultant corner kick, Blackstock rose tallest to meet Alberti's corner, only for Sullivan to save comfortably at his far post.
Doncaster were playing some neat stuff of their own too, but with the R's back four on top, Sean O'Driscoll's men were restricted to efforts from range, most notably from Martin Woods, who fired high and wide on the quarter hour.
Blackstock was a constant threat at set-pieces, rising high to meet another Alberti corner kick in the 20th minute, only to see his latest effort fly wide.
But despite enjoying the lion's share of territory and possession, disaster struck for Sousa's men midway through the half.
An innocuous looking long ball from Matt Mills caused panic on the edge of the R's box, and Stewart - under no apparent pressure - inexplicably headed the ball past Radek Cerny and into a vacant net.
It was a disastrous goal for the R's to concede, and gave an otherwise tepid home crowd an unexpected - and equally undeserved - lift.
And it went from bad to worse for the R's just eight minutes later.
Kaspars Gorkss' attempted headed clearance from a Donny corner fell perfectly into the path of Heffernan, who applied the simplest of glancing headers from the edge of the six-yard box.
To their credit, the R's continued to pose a threat, with Leigertwood firing over from fully 30-yards with a dipping right foot volley.
The former Sheffield United midfielder went close again five minutes before the break, firing inches wide with a stunning 22-yard strike that just arced away as it appeared destined for the top corner.
Blackstock's half ended as it had begun with an effort on goal; this time a looping header which hit the top of the crossbar and landed on the roof of the net.
Sousa didn't take long to ring the changes at the start of the second half, with Lòpez and Romone Rose entering the fray in the 52nd minute at the expense of Gorkss and Alberti. The double substitution saw Rangers match their opponents by switching to a 3-5-2 formation.
The change nearly had its desired impact three minutes later, but once again Blackstock was denied, this time by a flailing Rovers leg.
At the other end, Heffernan's fizzing 25-yard drive brought the best out of Cerny, with the R's stopper diving high to his left to keep out the strikers' fierce effort.
Rangers were soon back on the attack themselves - a neat one-two between Blackstock and Di Carmine saw the latter fire in a near post effort, which Sullivan tipped round.
Rose was the next R's player to try his luck, firing in from distance, only for Sullivan to smother; before Blackstock fired over from an acute angle.
Moments after Sousa introduced Miller, Coppinger tested Cerny with a powerful strike, but it was the R's who created the final opportunity of the match, when Sullivan dived full stretch to his right to thwart Di Carmine.
Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan, Roberts, Mills, Chambers, Lockwood, Heffernan (Hayter 86), Wilson, Woods, Wellens, Hird, Coppinger (Shiels 89).
Subs: Spicer, Price, Fairhurst.
Scorers: Stewart (22 og), Heffernan (29)
Bookings: Mills (28)
Red Cards:
QPR: Cerny, Stewart, Mahon, Leigertwood (Miller 79), Routledge, Blackstock, Gorkss (Lòpez 52), Ramage, Connolly, Alberti (Rose 52), Di Carmine.
Subs: Hall, Balanta.
Scorers:
Bookings: Leigertwood (60)
Red Cards:
Referee: Mr C H Webster
Attendance: 10,223 (616 away)
