Rovers suffered a third successive away defeat as they were beaten 1-0 at QPR courtesy of Ilias Chair’s late strike.

Chair’s 25-yard effort seven minutes from time proved to be the difference in a game which had been competitively contested until the final half an hour when the hosts took charge.

Rovers’ goal had led a charmed life in the lead up to Chair’s goal when the attacker took aim from distance to curl beyond Thomas Kaminski.

Tony Mowbray had named a much-changed side, but it didn’t have the desired effect as they struggled to create on a night where the closest they came was when Yoann Barbet almost put through his own goal.

Lewis Travis was replaced in the first half with what appeared to be a dead leg, as Bradley Johnson made his first appearance of the season after a hamstring injury. Reda Khadra didn’t make the trip south as he continues to recover from illness, though the hope is that he will be available for the weekend’s visit of Reading.

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When points slip through their fingers, as they did in the 2-2 draw with Coventry, it puts even more pressure on the next game.

Yet despite the weekend’s set-back, Rovers still had the opportunity to move into the top six had they won on their travels. However, their performance at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium warranted little more than they got, a brief spell at the start of the second half apart they struggled to create.

It appeared a side sent out with a view to not get beat, and they did courtesy of Ilias Chair’s effort seven minutes from time, Tony Mowbray’s men ending the night with just a solitary attempt on target.

They had no answer as Rangers stepped on the gas in the final half an hour, and there felt an inevitability that the hosts would nick it as they did in the closing stages.

Rovers stuck with their back three, matching up another side who operate in the same system, and it made for a tactical start as both tried to work out what each other was doing.

For Rovers, that included Leighton Clarkson back in the side and operating as the most advanced of a midfield three in a side that showed four changes.

While the returns of Ben Brereton and Harry Pickering were no surprise, Dan Butterworth was handed his first senior start and looked eager to take his opportunity. As direct as ever, his 14th minute run saw him looked to take on the whole QPR side, and with little support he tried his luck on his left foot, but dragged his shot wide of the target.

The hosts’ plan appeared to be getting runners in support of target man Lyndon Dykes, and one of them, Ilias Chair had a free kick comfortably saved by Thomas Kaminski as the game became increasingly cagey.

Butterworth curled a shot without conviction straight at Seny Dieng on the midway point of the half, while Yoann Barbet and Sam McCallum were guilty of firing over from promising positions on the edge of the box.

Rovers had gone with a new-look midfield, as Joe Rothwell and John Buckley were dropped to the bench to accommodate the four changes, with Sam Gallagher and Tyrhys Dolan also losing their places.

There was a further adjustment required 10 minutes before the break, Lewis Travis unable to shake off a knock following a challenge with Rob Dickie which saw the defender booked. Bradley Johnson was sent on in his place, for his first outing of the season, and escaped handball shouts within seconds of his introduction when blocking an Albert Adomah cross.

Tayo Edun tried to break rank for Rovers, and fired a shot wide of the target in the closing stages of what was an uneventful opening 45 minutes.

To try and add more creativity to the side, Rothwell was called for at the break, surprisingly replacing Pickering who had been solid on his return after illness.

Rothwell was quickly into the action, with Rovers’ best move of the night three minutes after the re-start almost bringing an opening goal. He and Brereton were both involved to feed Edun whose cross was diverted towards his own goal by Barbet, his blushes spared as the ball clipped the post and went wide.

The home crowd were desperately trying to lift their side as the hour mark approached, efforts from Sam McCallum and Dickie failing to trouble Kaminski as Rovers maintained a disciplined look to their defending.

They soon began to come under increasing pressure however, Lenihan twice cleared with important headers as Adomah having an increasing impact on the game from the right flank.

Rovers could do without inviting pressure as they did when Kaminski’s throw out gifted the ball back, though the ‘keeper did redeem himself with a smart save from Dykes’ shot. The feeling of an inevitable QPR was growing, and it should have arrived with 20 minutes to play. Chair’s free kick was nodded back across goal and then somehow over the top from defender Jimmy Dunne.

Kaminski was getting warned about the length of time taken to re-start play, an indication of the way the game was heading.

Rothwell tried to break the shackles with an 82nd minute effort that Dieng parried away, albeit more acrobatically than it likely required.

But it was from a similar distance out that the hosts finally found their way through. Rovers were on the back foot, and couldn’t get out quickly enough to close down Chair who bent home an effort from 25 yards that left Kaminski rooted to the spot.

The QPR fans continued to keep hold of the ball whenever it went out of play, meaning four additional minutes were added on, but two wasted free-kicks somewhat summed up Rovers’ night in the attacking third as they finished the game all too ragged.

QPR: Dieng, Dickie, Barbet, Dykes, Chair, Ball (Austin, 73), McCallum, Dozzell (Amos, 60), Dunne, Willock, Adomah (Kakay, 86)

Subs: De Wijs, Archer, Gray, Duke-McKenna

Rovers: Thomas Kaminski 6, Ryan Nyambe 7, Jan Paul van Hecke 6, Daniel Ayala 6, Darragh Lenihan 7, Harry Pickering 6 (Joe Rothwell, 46), Lewis Travis 6 (Bradley Johnson, 34), Leighton Clarkson 5, Tayo Edun 6, Dan Butterworth 5, Ben Brereton 5

Subs: Aynsley Pears, John Buckley, Ian Poveda, Tyrhys Dolan