Strikes either side of half time from Matt Tubbs saw the R's go down to a 2-0 defeat to Crawley Town at the Broadfield Stadium.
Despite a busy opening 15 minutes for keepers at both ends, the clash was a turgid encounter that failed to spark into life thereafter, though Crawley - and Tubbs in particular - to their credit, were clinical when handed opportunities in front of goal.
Tubbs opened the scoring with a tap-in on the quarter-hour mark, after he reacted first to Barry Cogan's rifled effort that was palmed into his path by R's keeper Radek Cerny.
On 66 minutes, Town doubled their advantage. Marvin Kamara's looped ball from the half-way line put Tubbs through on goal, and the hitman made no mistake from 12-yards out for the second.
The R's lined-up in a 4-3-3 formation in West Sussex.
Cerny was in goal for QPR, behind a back four of Max Ehmer, Lee Brown, skipper for the night Peter Ramage and Gary Borrowdale.
Jordan Hibbert, Joe Oastler and Romone Rose were in midfield for the Hoops.
In attack, Antonio German and Josh Parker were deployed in wider positions, with Patrick Agyemang playing through the middle.
The game started at a frantic pace, and the R's fashioned the first chance of the opening period.
It was Rose with the effort, receiving possession following Agyemang's knock-down before firing an effort straight at Michel Kuipers.
QPR had started brightly, and moments later Ehmer drove from right-back and into the Crawley half before launching an effort from 30-yards out straight at the keeper.
Rangers were knocking on the door. This time, Rose picked up on a misplaced pass in the Town midfield, before driving at the hosts' defence and dragging an effort wide from 25 yards.
Play then switched to the other end, where Crawley almost broke the deadlock with their first effort on goal but for a spectacular save from Cerny, who did well to tip Steve Masterton's driven effort away past his right-hand post.
Soon after, Crawley were again on the attack, and after a corner was played in from the right, Craig McAllister was unlucky to see his nodded effort go just over the bar.
The balance of play had slightly swung in Town's favour, and on 15 minutes they took a first-half lead.
Sergio Torres won the ball in the centre of midfield before freeing Masterton, who in turn played Cogan through on goal.
The midfielder looked up before drilling in a low effort that Cerny could only tip into the path of the oncoming Tubbs, who made no mistake to tap the ball home from just six-yards out.
The R's then almost found a goal to draw themselves level.
Borrowdale was the architect, sending over a delicious and pinpoint free-kick from the right for Ramage, though the stand-in Captain could only nod harmlessly over the bar.
Seconds before the interval, Crawley could have added a second when Simon Rusk's cross bounced up into the path of goalscorer Tubbs on the edge of the box, but he could only smash wide of the target with the goal at his mercy.
The home side had the first chance as the second period got underway, though Cerny was equal to Masterton's driven free-kick from the right with a low save to his left.
Few chances were being created in the first 15 minutes of the closing half, though Cerny did well to claim Tubbs' dangerous cross from the right on 60 minutes after good work out wide from the Town frontman.
Moments later, Town doubled their lead.
When a ball was played from deep from Kamara up to Tubbs from the halfway line, the striker found himself through on goal with just the keeper to beat.
And Tubbs didn't disappoint thereafter, remaining coolness personified to lash the ball home past Cerny from 12-yards out.
Soon after, good work from Torres down the right saw him brush past his marker before crossing into the box for Kamara, who saw his effort held well by Cerny in the R's net.
Rangers tried to push forward in the closing 10 minutes, though Crawley held firm to claim a deserved win.
Crawley Town: Kuipers, Rusk, Quinn, Hall, Torres, Tubbs, Masterton, McAllister, Cogan, Mills, Howell.
Subs: Jordan, Hutchinson, Smith, Enver-Marum, Ryan, Malcolm, Flood, Napper, Brewer, Kamara.
Goals: Tubbs (15 & 66)
QPR: Cerny, Ehmer, Borrowdale, Oastler, Ramage, Brown, Hibbert, Rose, German, Parker, Agyemang.
Subs: Bulmer, Waters, Harriman, Fitzsimmonds, Andrade, Trialist, Trialist.
Referee: Mr W Atkin
Attendance: 1, 110
