Two first-half goals from David Norris and Daryl Murphy gave Ipswich Town their second away league win of the season, despite an improved second-half display from the R's.

Norris gave the Tractor Boys the lead on eight minutes, with his shot from just inside the box deflecting off a Rangers defender before finding the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

And Town added number two just before the break. Jack Colback's precise cross from the left found Murphy in the penalty area, who made no mistake to thunder the ball past Carl Ikeme.

Jay Simpson did give the R's some hope when he pulled one back with just over 20 minutes remaining, but Rangers couldn't find their way past a stubborn Ipswich defence for a second time.

QPR boss Mick Harford made three changes for the visit of the Tractor Boys, all of which were enforced.

Mikele Leigertwood was unavailable as he started a three-match ban for his red card in Saturday's defeat at Peterborough United.

Peter Ramage - who was also dismissed in that clash at London Road for a second bookable offence - missed out as he served a one-game suspension, while Tamas Priskin was unavailable due to the terms of his loan deal that meant he was illegible to play against his parent Club.

Damion Stewart came back into the centre of defence, while Hogan Ephraim also started out wide on the right-hand side of midfield for Rangers.

Ikeme began in goal for the R's, behind a rearguard of Matt Connolly, Stewart, Kaspars Gorkss and Matt Hill.

Ephraim and stand-in skipper for the night Lee Cook - who impressed in that defeat at London Road on Saturday - started on the flanks, with Nigel Quashie and Alejandro Faurlin in the centre of midfield for Rangers.

Marcus Bent and Simpson headed the R's attack.

Before the match a minute's silence was held in memory of QPR's Honorary Life President Harold Winton, who sadly lost his life on Monday following a prolonged battle with cancer.

The Tractor Boys had the first chance of the game to find the net.

Owen Garvan's delightful corner from the left was met by the head of Gareth McAuley, whose effort was too close to Ikeme as it bounced just in front of the keeper and safely into his hands.

Ikeme was powerless to keep out the Tractor Boys' next effort, however, as the visitors took the lead with the aid of a deflection.

After Jon Walters found possession out wide on the right, he touched the ball on into the area for Norris.

The midfielder let the ball roll across his body before sending in an effort that smashed against the leg of Gorkss and found its way into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

Undeterred, the R's almost instantly went on the offensive in search of an equaliser.

Good work from Hill, Faurlin and Cook eventually enabled Vine to find space and cross from the left-hand side.

Vine's centre bounced off the foot of a Town defender before looping up into the direction of Simpson, who somehow headed over with the goal at his mercy from just under six yards.

Soon after, the away side missed a glorious opportunity to add number two.

After a ball from deep on the right was played into the area, the unmarked Norris saw his header well saved by Ikeme at the back post before the keeper got up to superbly to thwart Murphy at close range from the rebound.

Moments later, Cook found Faurlin down the centre before the Argentine playmaker bustled past two players and into the area, though a timely intervention from Damien Delaney resulted in the ball going out for a corner.

Play then switched to the other end. McAuley's header found Walters on the left-hand byline, and when the Ipswich midfielder played a clever back-heal into the area in the direction of Murphy, the Irishman fired agonisingly wide of the right-hand post from close range.

The visitors weren't to be denied for too much longer, as they raced into a two-goal lead courtesy of Murphy.

Colback's low cross into the box from the left fell to the feet of the unmarked Sunderland loanee 10-yards out, and the frontman made no mistake to fire the ball home into the net past Ikeme.

Seconds before the interval, Rangers almost pulled a goal back.

Ephraim's lovely free-kick from the left was met by the head of Stewart, whose stooping header looped over Arran Lee-Barrett and onto the top of the net.

As the second half got underway, the R's wasted no time in their attempt to get back into the match.

A cutting through pass found Simpson on the right-hand edge of the box, before the striker fashioned a thundering drive at Lee-Barrett's near post, who did well to beat the effort away for a corner.

Moments later, Walters drove into the area before squaring the ball left for Murphy, who took a touch before firing in an effort that was parried away and eventually caught by Ikeme.

Play soon switched to the other end. Buzsaky's teasing free-kick from deep almost found the net when it cannoned off the head of an Ipswich defender before looping up and hitting the roof of the net.

Rangers didn't have to wait too much longer for their first goal of the game, and from the resulting corner kick, they pulled one back.

Buzsaky was again involved, curling in a free-kick that was cleared to Cook on the edge of the penalty area.

The winger in turn fired a shot into the box that deflected back into the path of Simpson from six-yards out, who had the simplest of tasks to fire the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.

Soon after, Rosenior and Healy combined well down the right before the latter crossed for Murphy, who somehow turned the ball wide of Ikeme's right-hand post from close range.

Rangers continued to press their opponents in the latter stages of the affair - namely when Simpson's stinging low shot was well held by Lee-Barrett - but Ipswich held out to take all three points.

QPR: Ikeme, Stewart, Bent (Vine 10), Gorkss, Quashie (Taarabt 46), Connolly, Cook, Faurlin, Hill, Simpson, Ephraim (Buzsaky 46).

Subs not used: Balanta, Cerny, Borrowdale, German.

Goals: Simpson (66)

Bookings: Connolly (35)

Ipswich Town: Lee-Barrett, Delaney, McAuley, Peters, Garvan (Rosenior 65), Walters, Leadbitter, Norris, Colback, Murphy (Stead 85), Counago (Healy 65).

Subs not used: Murphy, Balkestein, Edwards, Quinn.

Goals: Norris (8), Murphy (38)

Bookings: Norris (64), Walters (72)

Referee: Mr F Graham

Attendance: 10, 940 (1409)