Neil Warnock started his managerial reign at QPR in fine fashion with an excellent 3-1 victory over promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion.

Rangers were two up inside 20 minutes. Jay Simpson opened the scoring, prodding home after Scott Carson failed to deal with Adel Taarabt's centre.

The R's doubled their advantage just five minutes later, with Matt Connolly finishing off a superb passing move from the home side.

West Brom replied not long before the break, with Chris Brunt heading Jerome Thomas' cross into the goal.

Though it was Warnock and QPR's day, and after Akos Buzsaky added a third when his free-kick deceived everyone to find the goal via the post, the R's took three more precious points in the Coca Cola Championship.

QPR boss Warnock made four changes to the Hoops side in his first game in charge at Loftus Road.

Lee Cook missed out, while Peter Ramage, Buzsaky and Antonio German all dropped to the substitutes' bench.

That meant Connolly came back into the side at right-back, with Taarabt and Hogan Ephraim in midfield and Tamas Priskin up front.

Rangers started with Carl Ikeme in goal, behind a back four of Connolly, Damion Stewart, Kaspars Gorkss and Matt Hill.

Taarabt and Ephraim were out wide in midfield for the Hoops, while skipper Mikele Leigertwood and Alejandro Faurlin began in the middle of the park.

Simpson was joined by Priskin up front.

With the R's faithful and all in attendance in W12 conducting a minute's applause to celebrate the lives of former Captain Mike Keen and former Macclesfield Town gaffer Keith Alexander respectively, it was the R's who looked the brighter in the opening stages of the match.

Taarabt was seeing a lot of the ball, and his dangerous cross was well headed away by Jonas Olsson for the Baggies.

The Spurs loanee was then involved in the R's next attack - and this time his centre led to the opening goal of the game.

Taarabt's cross from the right was too hot for West Brom keeper Carson to handle, and he fumbled the ball into the path of Hogan Ephraim, who in turn touched the ball on to Simpson.

The striker made no mistake thereafter, smashing the ball into the net from close range for his 12th league goal of the campaign.

It was an early strike that seemed to buoy Warnock's men, and the R's determination to build on their good start was exemplified when Kaspars Gorkss put in a terrific, sliding challenge on his marker on the edge of the penalty area.

Loftus Road - by this point - was electric, and the volume was turned up a notch more as the hosts added their second goal of the afternoon.

It was a free-flowing passing move that made the goal. Taarabt, Priskin and Faurlin all combined well to send Connolly through free down the right before the defender slid the ball under the keeper and into the back of the net.

QPR were playing some lovely football, thought it was the visitors who then created their best chance to date. Brunt's delicious through ball seemed to put James Morrison through on goal, before Ikeme rushed out of his net to collect the ball for the R's.

Ikeme was then heavily involved again, and he did well to tip the ball wide for a corner kick after Ben Watson smashed Gorkss' weak clearance goalwards.

Moments later, however, the Rangers custodian was powerless to prevent West Brom pulling a goal back.

Jerome Thomas was the architect, and his pinpoint cross found Brunt at the back post before he nodded the ball over Ikeme and into the goal.

Just short the break, Gabriel Tamas went close but his effort from range went just wide of the left-hand post for Albion, before Ikeme did well to block Morrison's blasted effort.

The teams reappeared for the second half at a sundrenched Loftus Road, with the game continuing to be played at a fast pace.

Albion seemed determined to score an equaliser as soon as possible and they were getting forward in numbers at every possible opportunity.

The visitors broke at pace, and when Thomas' teasing cross seemed certain the find a Baggies man, Stewart made a timely intervention to slide the ball away.

Moments later and Albion almost found that equaliser, and when Brunt's cross from the right found Cox at the near post, he could only fire over the crossbar.

Play soon switched to the other end, and the newly-introduced Akos Buzsaky had a shot that was claimed comfortably by Carson for the Baggies.

Buzsaky then played over a dangerous corner from the left that looked to be heading for Stewart, before Carson intervened to clear the ball away.

The R's didn't have to wait too much longer for another goal, and they sealed the win in bizarre style.

After Rangers won a free-kick out on the right, a Buzsaky cross bounced in the area before hitting the inside of the post and bouncing into the opposite side of the goal.

It was a tad fortunate, though Rangers weren't to mind as Buzsaky wheeled away to celebrate.

The Hoops could have extended their lead when Simpson and Rowan Vine both had shots saved by Carson for West Brom.

However, the scores remained the same as Rangers took a maximum return.

QPR: Ikeme, Stewart, Leigertwood, Gorkss, Connolly, Faurlin, Hill, Simpson, Ephraim (Buzsaky 59), Priskin (Vine 77), Taarabt (Ramage 69).

Subs: Cerny, Balanta, Borrowdale, German.

Scorers: Simpson (13), Connolly (18), Buzsaky (67)

Bookings: Priskin, Faurlin

West Bromwich Albion: Carson, Olsson, Cech (Miller 64), Brunt, Thomas, Mulumbu, Watson, Tamas, Morrison (Dorrans 68), Cox, Reid.

Subs: Kiely, Mattock, Koren, Moore, Meite.

Scorers: Brunt (36)

Bookings: Cech, Brunt

Referee: Mr S Attwell

Attendance: 14, 578 (2, 105)