Robert Earnshaw was at the double as Rangers suffered defeat against high-flying Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

The hosts took the lead on as early as 19 minutes, with Earnshaw superbly curling home a free-kick from the edge of the box.

And Forest added a second just two minutes later, as Earnshaw notched his second when through on goal, before Dexter Blackstock struck number three from the penalty spot before half time.

The Reds didn't rest on their laurels in the second half either, with Chris Cohen adding a fourth before James Perch smashed home number five from close-range to put Forest level on points with Newcastle United at the top of the Coca Cola Championship.

R's gaffer Mick Harford made three changes to the side that drew 2-2 away at Blackpool last weekend.

Following his release from West Ham United and putting pen to paper on a contract with the R's for the remainder of the campaign, Nigel Quashie came into the centre of the QPR midfield.

Also handed a start at left-back was Matt Hill, after yesterday (Monday) he signed on a loan deal from Wolves until the end of the season, while Jay Simpson started up front.

They replaced Wayne Routledge and Patrick Agyemang, who both completed moves away from Loftus Road - the latter on loan - to Newcastle and Bristol City respectively, as well as Fitz Hall, who dropped to the bench.

So, with Carl Ikeme in goal, Matt Connolly, Damion Stewart, Kaspars Gorkss and Hill started in defence.

Akos Buzsaky and Alejandro Faurlin began out wide in midfield, supported from the centre by Captain Mikele Leigertwood and Quashie.

Adel Taarabt partnered top scorer Simpson in attack.

As the play got underway at the City Ground, it was the hosts who had the first shot on goal.

Chris Gunter's cross to the back post found Radoslaw Majewski, and when the Reds playmaker found skipper Paul McKenna just short of the penalty area, he could only fire high and wide of the target.

Majewski was then in the thick of the action again, freeing the ball to Perch on the left, whose dangerous cross was well blocked away for a corner by the sweeping leg of Rangers defender Stewart.

The R's felt a little aggrieved moments later, however, when Buzsaky was booked for a foul in the centre of the park, even though it seemed clear to most that the Hungarian international had taken the ball and not the man.

And QPR's luck wasn't to get any better on 19 minutes, as Earnshaw fired Forest into the lead with a delicious free-kick.

After Leigertwood was adjudged to have tugged back Blackstock on the edge of the box, Earnshaw took the resultant set-piece, curling the ball around the wall and past Ikeme to put the Reds into the lead.

In buoyant mood after their first, just two minutes later Forest doubled their advantage.

Anderson won the ball from Quashie in the centre of midfield, before he drove at the R's defence and released Earnshaw, and he planted the ball home into the bottom left-hand corner for his second.

Soon after, Rangers fashioned their first attempt on goal. Taarabt ran at the defence from halfway, though his shot from the edge of the penalty area was straight at Lee Camp.

At the other end, Ikeme did well to prevent a Forest third; initially beating Majewski's rasping effort from 30 yards away before catching the ball at his chest.

The Reds were soon back on the attack, however, and on 32 minutes they added their third goal of the match.

Majewski - who was proving a constant thorn in the R's side - crossed for Earnshaw, and he was brought down in the box by a challenge from Gorkss, leaving the referee with no choice but to point for a penalty kick.

Blackstock stepped up to take it and didn't falter, smashing the ball into the bottom left-hand corner to further increase Forest's lead.

Just before the break, Rangers had a chance to reduce the arrears when Leigertwood struck for goal from 25-yards out, but his shot went well over Camp in the Reds net.

Three down at the break, QPR boss Harford decided to change things by bringing on Peter Ramage and Hogan Ephraim for Stewart and Faurlin.

It was a substitution that gave Rangers fresh impetus, and they almost pulled goal back just seconds after the restart.

After the R's won free-kick on the edge of the Forest box, Taarabt squared the resultant kick into the path of Quashie, who drilled an effort straight at Camp for the Reds.

Play soon switched to the other end, however, and on 49 minutes the dominant hosts added goal number four.

Cohen received possession some 30 yards from goal before unleashing a powerful effort on target, and the swerve on the ball deceived Ikeme as it hit his hand and found the net.

Soon after, the R's created their second chance of the half to find a goal.

Connolly drove at the Forest area from midway before thundering in an effort on goal that was well parried by Camp, before Buzsaky's shot went high and wide of the target from the loose ball.

Moments later, Rangers were on the offensive again. Buzsaky's corner from the right was met by the head of Latvian international Gorkss, but he could only power his effort straight at Camp.

At the other end, Cohen found Anderson on the left-hand side of the box, before the midfielder cut in and shot just wide of Ikeme's left-hand post.

But Forest weren't to be denied for too much longer, and after a goalmouth scramble resulted in the ball being cleared off the line two times, Perch was on hand at the third attempt to notch a fifth goal.