QPR 0-3 Coventry City: Sky Blues keep up play-off push as R's suffer another defeat
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Viktor Gyokeres moved on to 20 league goals for the season after his double at Loftus Road
Coventry City kept up their pursuit of the Championship play-off places as the Sky Blues inflicted another defeat on struggling Queens Park Rangers.
Viktor Gyokeres slotted the visitors ahead in the 10th minute at Loftus Road with his 19th league goal of the campaign after being picked out by Gustavo Hamer.
After Jake Bidwell spurned a chance to double the lead, visiting goalkeeper Ben Wilson made fine saves either side of half-time to keep out efforts from Ilias Chair and Sam Field.
The visitors made sure of the points with two quickfire goals late on as first Hamer fired past Seny Dieng after seeing his initial effort saved and then Gyokeres tapped in to round off a counter-attack.
A first win in four games had moved the Sky Blues up to sixth in the table - although Mark Robins' men were replaced in the play-off places after Blackburn Rovers' draw with Hull City later on Saturday.
Meanwhile, a 10th defeat in 12 outings for QPR leaves the west London club one point above the relegation zone.
Rangers were top of the second tier on 22 October but have suffered a dramatic drop-off in form since then, winning just two of their 26 league games to slip into a relegation battle.
The figures make stark reading for the R's; Gareth Ainsworth has lost seven of his nine games since taking charge in February while the club have one win in 19 league outings and a solitary victory in 13 home games.
Coventry have been in good form on the road of late, and rarely looked back as Gyokeres showed composure to give the visitors an early lead as Rangers fell behind in the opening 10 minutes for the fifth time in six matches.
QPR's best openings came when Wilson palmed away a Chair free-kick which had been heading into the top corner on the stroke of half-time and then denied Field from close range six minute after the restart.
Coventry striker Matty Godden fired wide and was then stopped from making it 2-0 by a fine Kenneth Paal block, but then Hamer and Gyokeres netted twice in the space of three minutes to put the result beyond doubt.
Both goals came on the break, with Tyler Walker teeing up Hamer for the second before the Brazilian midfielder picked out Sweden international Gyokeres to find the net off an upright for his 21st club goal of the campaign.
The Sky Blues, who are now unbeaten in seven away games after keeping a 10th clean sheet in 21 league matches on the road this season, travel to Blackburn on Wednesday in what will be a crucial match in their bid for a top six place and a return to the Premier League after 22 years away.
QPR manager Gareth Ainsworth told BBC Radio London:
"I was expecting a bit more. That first goal seemed to go in too easy and then after that we were clambering to try and get back in the game.
"What bothers me the most is the second goal as it really put us out of the game.
"We were playing possession football around the edge of their box and all of a sudden they intercept and break on us and we look wide apart at the back.
"It is happening too many times and we have got to make sure we are more solid. A 1-0 we would have took and thought 'It is not too bad' but a 3-0 looks horrendous.
"Last 10 minutes we were all at sea."
Coventry City boss Mark Robins told BBC CWR:
"We started off brightly and got in control really early on in the game. We kept the crowd quiet, which was really good.
"After the first one we got sloppy and gave them some hope.
"I am really pleased with the way we settled into it. Congratulations to everybody, because the performance was really good.
"To finish the job off like that was fantastic. It is a really important week and it keeps things moving along nicely for us.
"With four games to go we are in a really nice position with absolutely no pressure on us whatsoever."