Cardiff City 3 QPR 1
In-form Cardiff City continued their march to the top-six with a domineering display against out-of-sorts Rangers.
On a night when the R's lost defensive duo Fitz Hall and Matthew Connolly to first half injuries, the Bluebirds totally orchestrated proceedings, to leave Luigi De Canio's men contemplating a third successive away defeat in all competitions.
In a first period totally dominated by the hosts, Joe Ledley opened the scoring in the 13th minute, before the midfield maestro doubled the Bluebirds' advantage four minutes before the break.
Rangers were indebted to the outstanding Lee Camp for keeping the scoreline down to just two goals at half-time, with the R's number one on hand to make a series of stunning saves, most notably from the inventive Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink.
But there was nothing Camp could do to prevent Paul Parry making it three early in the second half, as the forward coasted through unmarked to notch the Bluebirds' third.
To their credit, Rangers continued to plug away as the clock ticked down, and they were rewarded when Patrick Agyemang fired home his third in as many games after Michael Oakes dropped Hogan Ephraim's cross under pressure from Dexter Blackstock.
In the only change to the side which won 2-0 against Barnsley ten days ago, De Canio welcomed back Gavin Mahon from illness.
Blackstock dropped to the bench as a result, while young goalkeeper Reece Crowther was again amongst the substitutes, deputising for the injured Jake Cole.
Just 48 hours after their FA Cup fourth round victory against Hereford United, Cardiff gaffer Dave Jones was forced into two changes.
Aaron Ramsey and Hasselbaink returned to the starting XI, at the expense of Stephen McPhail and Steve Thompson.
After an equally contested opening ten minutes, it was the hosts who created the first chance of note in the 11th minute.
Ledley's speculative 12-yard drive appeared to be heading goalwards, before Hall's outstretched leg diverted the ball to safety.
The danger signs were there from the hosts, but the R's failed to heed the warning and when Damien Delaney's blind back pass fell horribly short of Camp, Rangers paid the ultimate price.
Parry seized upon the loose ball, before delivering a precise ball across the six-yard box, which the unmarked Ledley tucked home with ease.
Stunned by the nature of the goal, Rangers looked alarmingly disjointed at the back and Hasselbaink very nearly doubled the Bluebirds' advantage a minute later, only to fluff his lines from 15-yards.
It was all Cardiff by now and but for the heroics of Camp, the R's could have been down and out.
The R's number one made two stunning saves in a minute; first to deny Peter Whittingham and then to thwart Hasselbaink.
City centre-half Glenn Loovens glanced a ten-yard header wide midway through the half, as Cardiff continued to lay siege on the R's goal.
Loovens' fellow centre-back Roger Johnson was next to test Camp, firing a thunderous volley on target, which the R's stopper again punched to safety.
It took Rangers 30 minutes to create their first chance of note, but Damion Stewart - who had earlier been booked for a mistimed challenge on the lively Hasselbaink - blazed wide from an acute angle.
Cardiff's free-flowing counter-attacks left Rangers chasing shadows at times and from their very next foray forward, Whittingham, with the goal at his mercy, somehow skewed his shot wide from six-yards out.
The R's were forced into a change seven minutes before the break, when Hall limped off and was replaced by Michael Mancienne.
That prompted a defensive reshuffle, with Connolly moving to centre-back and Chelsea loanee Mancienne filling in at right-back.
The new-look R's back four were powerless to prevent the Bluebirds from doubling their advantage moments later though, as Hasselbaink evaded the R's offside trap with ease and squared for Ledley, who tapped home unopposed from close range.
As if a two-goal deficit at the break wasn't a big enough mountain to climb, De Canio's men suffered a further blow on the stroke of half-time, when Connolly left the field on a stretcher and was immediately replaced by Blackstock.
Undeterred, the R's began the second period on the front foot, forcing two corners in a matter of minutes; the second of which was glanced wide by Blackstock.
But it was Cardiff who notched the all-important third goal of the contest in the 58th minute, as Hasselbaink - looking marginally offside - played provider for Parry, who steered the ball beyond the outstretched dive of Camp from 15-yards.
Camp was in the right place, at the right time, to deny the roaming Ledley again on the hour, sprinting from his line to deflect the left-sided midfielder's looping effort wide of the upright.
Rangers pulled a goal back 13 minutes from time when Oakes - under pressure from Blackstock - failed to gather Ephraim's cross from the right and Agyemang was on hand to continue his rich vein of scoring form.
It proved to be a mere consolation though, despite Mikele Leigertwood forcing replacement keeper Peter Enckelman into a fine save and the woodwork coming to the hosts' recue, when Delaney's back post header was deflected onto the crossbar before being hacked to safety.
Cardiff City: Oakes (Enckelman 78), McNaughton, Capaldi, Rae, Loovens, Whittingham (Blake 88), Parry, Johnson, Ledley, Ramsey, Floyd-Hasselbaink (Thompson 93).
Subs: Purse, Sinclair.
Scorers: Ledley 13 & 41, Parry 58
Bookings:
Red Cards:
QPR: Camp, Delaney, Mahon, Stewart, Buzsaky (Ephraim 62), Rowlands, Connolly (Blackstock 45), Agyemang, Vine, Hall (Mancienne 38), Leigertwood.
Subs: Lee, Crowther.
Scorers: Agyemang 76
Bookings: Stewart 25, Buzsaky 48
Red Cards:
Referee: Mr P Walton
