Colchester 4-2 QPR
Mick Harford failed to fire QPR after taking over the helm from John Gregory.
Rangers were all square on 29 minutes when Hogan Ephraim slid in to cancel out Mikele Leigertwood's own goal.
But Colchester were back in front within a minute when Kemal Izzet headed in Danny Granville's cross and Mark Yeates made it 3-1 with a free-kick.
Rowan Vine scored on his QPR debut to give the visitors hope, but Clive Platt nodded in when Kevin Lisbie's shot came back off the woodwork to seal the win.
Colchester: Gerken, Duguid, Baldwin, Virgo, Elokobi, Yeates, Izzet, Jackson, Granville, Lisbie, Platt.
Subs Not Used: Cousins, Guy, Guttridge, Connolly, Elito.
Booked: Duguid, Jackson, Platt.
Goals: Leigertwood 19 og, Izzet 30, Yeates 38, Platt 63.
QPR: Camp, Rowlands, Leigertwood, Cullip, Barker, Ainsworth (Moore 85), Jarrett (Sahar 75), Bolder, Ephraim, Blackstock, Vine.
Subs Not Used: Cole, Bignot, Stewart.
Booked: Bolder, Ephraim, Ainsworth.
Goals: Ephraim 29, Vine 58.
Att: 5,361
Ref: Jon Moss (W Yorkshire).
