Bristol City 0-2 Queens Park Rangers: Hoops condemn Robins to fifth consecutive home loss
- Published
Defender Rob Dickie's only other goal in 32 games this season came in the reverse fixture at Loftus Road in December
Early goals from Ilias Chair and Rob Dickie earned QPR victory as Bristol City slumped to a fifth consecutive home Championship defeat.
The diminutive Chair headed his sixth goal of the season before defender Dickie fired in the second from close range midway through the first half.
QPR were good value for the win, which takes up to 16th in the table, although their former loan striker Nahki Wells missed a great chance to reduce the deficit.
It was Rangers' first success at Ashton Gate in 11 visits, a run stretching back to 2002.
Chair put the visitors ahead in the 11th minute, timing his run perfectly to get in between two defenders and glance home Todd Kane's swirling cross.
Rangers doubled their advantage when City failed to deal with a quickly taken corner and Yoann Barbet's effort rattled the post before rebounding for Dickie to slam the ball into the roof of the net.
Pearson responded with a trio of substitutions - two enforced by injury - and the Robins flickered into life, with QPR debutant Jordy de Wijs making vital challenges to foil Jack Hunt and Antoine Semenyo.
The home side, who remain 12th, improved after the break and teenage substitute Sam Pearson, making his league debut, forced a save from Rangers keeper Seny Dieng.
Wells, who joined City last season after two loan spells at QPR, should have pulled a goal back when Hunt's cross broke to him, but he fired over from close range.
Lee Wallace set up an opportunity for Chair to wrap up the points, but the midfielder was off target this time.
Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson told BBC Bristol: "We couldn't replicate our recent standard of performance, which is something we definitely need to address - not just now, but in the longer term.
"The performance was certainly not what we were looking for and in the first half we were a bit too passive. We were unable to influence the game in the middle of the pitch.
"In terms of the changes we made, Sam Pearson did well coming on and having a really positive debut for a youngster in a difficult game, so did Antoine, in flashes.
"It's just a game we allowed to get away from us without the level of resistance I would expect."
QPR manager Mark Warburton told BBC London 94.9: "It's a tough place to come. Obviously Nigel has come in - he'll make a big impression and be well organised, so we knew what we faced and we delivered a very strong performance.
"We were on the front foot, our wing-backs pushed on high and with good intensity and we wanted to get early balls into the box, which we did. It was a great ball from Toddy and to have Ilias score the first goal was tremendous.
"Then we got the second, which looked good from a set-piece and we controlled the game for long periods. It's a very pleasing performance - to keep a clean sheet as well is an added bonus."
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