Garry Thompson's 74th minute strike was enough for Scunthorpe United, as they recorded back-to-back away wins with victory over the R's.

On an afternoon when Gareth Ainsworth said an emotional farewell to the QPR faithful following his departure after a successful seven-and-a-half year playing stint in W12, Thompson latched onto a Gary Hooper centre with only 16 minutes remaining, before firing the ball past Carl Ikeme.

QPR, in truth, enjoyed their fair share of possession throughout the match and pressed for an equaliser late on, but even the much-anticipated return of Lee Cook from injury couldn't prevent the R's from defeat.

Rangers boss Mick Harford made just a single change for the visit of Nigel Adkins' Scunthorpe, with Rowan Vine replacing Damion Stewart.

Ikeme kept his place in goal for the R's.

In defence, skipper Mikele Leigertwood started at right back, Matt Connolly and Kaspars Gorkss at centre back and Matt Hill at left back.

Akos Buzsaky and Adel Taarabt began out wide in midfield, with Nigel Quashie and Alejandro Faurlin supporting from the middle.

Vine partnered Jay Simpson up top.

At a cold but sundrenched Loftus Road, it was the R's who had the first opportunity to open the scoring.

Quashie's lovely, dinked ball over the top found Vine out wide on the left, and when the striker cut the ball back for Taarabt, his stinging effort was blocked away by an Iron defender for a corner.

Moments later, it was Scunthorpe's turn to attack. Cliff Byrne found the ball inside the R's box before touching it back to Hooper, but his shot was saved by Ikeme.

Hooper was then involved again, winning possession around 25 yards from goal before a dipping shot hit the roof of the net.

This was fast becoming an end-to-end encounter. Buzsaky then won possession in the Scunthorpe half before driving at goal, before his shot from 30-yards out went high and wide of the goal.

Soon after, Rangers missed their best chance to date to find the net.

Simpson and Taarabt combined before the former played the Moroccan international through on goal down the left, but his driven effort was palmed away by Joe Murphy for Scunthorpe before a defender cleared the ball up field.

The R's were playing some of the best passing football that they had done in a while. Simpson and Taarabt were then involved again, with the former touching the ball back to the Tottenham loanee on the edge of the penalty area, before his curling shot went inches wide of the post.

Moments later, Leigertwood found Simpson down the right channel before the frontman cut in and shot straight at Murphy in the Iron goal.

Rangers were creating the greater amount of chances, and they almost got the first goal of the game when Taarabt's corner was met by Connolly, whose header went marginally wide of the net.

As half time approached, the Iron almost put themselves into an unlikely lead.

Hooper's neat back heel enabled Martyn Woolford to centre from the left, and when his cross was directed by Ikeme back into the direction of Sam Togwell, he could only blast over from 12-yards out.

Rangers continued where they left off in the first half after the interval - and soon they went only inches from finding the goal.

Taarabt's beautiful corner was met by the head of Gorkss, who nodded the ball just over the bar.

Soon after, Rangers broke at pace through Simpson, who drove at goal before his shot was parried away by Murphy before eventually being put out of play by the Scunthorpe defence for a corner.

Leigertwood and Buzsaky then combined down the right before the Hungarian playmaker's cross went agonisingly across the face of the target and out for a goal kick.

Play then switched to the other end, where Thompson and Hooper combined to play in Paul Hayes on the edge of the penalty area, but his shot went just wide of Ikeme's left-hand post.

Moments later, the Iron almost grabbed the lead but for a brilliant save from Ikeme.

Quashie's pass hit the referee and fell into the path of Hayes on the edge of the box, before his shot was superbly parried away by Ikeme and then cleared by the Rangers backline.

Scunthorpe then thought they had taken the lead. Thompson's cross was headed goalwards and into the top right-hand corner by Hooper, but he was deemed to have pushed his marker Connolly in the back.

The R's raced up the other end and were again denied by Murphy.

Leigertwood received the ball in the right-back position before cutting in and shooting with his left foot 25 yards from goal, but his shot was tipped away for a corner by the Scunthorpe keeper.

From the resultant set-piece, Connolly headed against a defender before the ball fell back at his feet, but he could only shot wide of the target from only six-yards out.

It was a miss that the R's were made to pay for, as just seconds later, Scunthorpe broke at pace and opened the scoring.

After a long ball was played from deep up to Hooper, he cut the ball back at the byline to Thompson, who took a touch before smashing low from close range past Ikeme.

Undeterred, Rangers continued to press the Iron, with Cook introduced from the substitutes' bench for his first appearance after injury since April in the league.

Simpson found the ball on the right-hand side of the penalty area, before he cut in and shot just wide of Murphy's right-hand post in the Iron goal.

However, though Rangers continued to attack - namely when Simpson almost found the target after heading wide Cook's cross - they couldn't find a way back into the match, as Scunthorpe held out to take the points.