Debutant sub Tom Hitchcock scored in the final minute to consign the Blues to a 1-0 defeat at QPR. Town had gone close to going in front before the break when Robert Green saved from Daryl Murphy, but it was all Rangers in the second half with Clint Hill and Charlie Austin both hitting the bar prior to Hitchcock’s last-gasp goal.
Boss Mick McCarthy named an unchanged side with midfielder Cole Skuse fine to keep his place despite suffering a minor hip problem in training in midweek.
Academy second-year scholar Michael Crowe, 17, was named on the bench for the senior side in the competitive fixture for the first time with second-choice keeper Dean Gerken ruled out with the dead leg he suffered in a collision with Frank Nouble in training.
QPR included former Blues keeper Brian Murphy amongst their substitutes, while ex-Town loanee Danny Simpson started.
Rain fell steadily as the game got underway and within seconds of the start Aaron Cresswell and Shaun Wright-Phillips required treatment after a nasty-looking clash of heads. Both players were eventually fine to carry on.
On five Richard Dunne was on hand to dispossess David McGoldrick inside the box after Jay Tabb had crossed from the left, then Joey Barton took the ball from Luke Hyam as the Blues midfielder looked to shoot from the edge of the area.
The Blues had enjoyed the better of the first quarter of an hour and after skipper Carlos Edwards had broken down the right, McGoldrick just couldn’t get a touch on Cresswell’s low ball from the right. Moments later, Daryl Murphy shot over from distance.
After a 25th minute Joey Barton freekick had caused a few moments of panic inside the Town box, the Blues threatened again at the other end, Hill clearing Tabb’s cross from the left.
There was more danger for the Blues in the 28th minute when Dunne knocked down a Barton corner from the right and Wright-Phillips’s strike was blocked. Soon after, Charlie Austin saw another effort from inside the area blocked by Skuse.
The former Burnley man, who almost joined the Blues under Paul Jewell’s management, went close again a minute later, Loach saving to his left. From Barton’s corner, Hill’s header reached Nedum Onuoha on the edge of the six-yard box but he nodded the ball over.
Rangers were by now on top but in the 36th minute Town ought to have gone in front. Cresswell crossed from the left, McGoldrick and Dunne challenged and the loose ball fell to Murphy just inside the box.
The striker struck a low shot towards the corner of the net but Green did superbly to get down to his left to save. At the other end, Bobby Zamora lashed over after good work from Junior Hoilett.
Town weren’t far away again in the 39th minute when Edwards played the ball to Elliott Hewitt to his right and the Welshman hit a low cross-shot just beyond both the post and his waiting strikers.
Green was almost sold short by Dunne’s backpass in the 44th minute but the former Canary showed quick feet to take the ball away from McGoldrick and avert the danger.
Either manager could have made a case for their sides deserving the lead at the break after an entertaining half in which both teams had had spells on top and chances. But Murphy’s opportunity, which was very well saved by Green, was probably the nearest either side had come to a goal.
Ryan Tunnicliffe replaced Skuse in the Blues midfield at the break, the former Bristol City man having required treatment for an ankle injury during the first half.
On 55 the home side lost the dangerous Hoilett to what appeared to be a hamstring injury, Gary O’Neil replacing him.
Tabb got his name in referee Michael Naylor’s book for a foul on Simpson in the 61st minute, although the Blues’ midfielder appeared to have won the ball.
From the resultant freekick taken by Barton, whose set pieces had been a threat throughout, Hill — who scored his last goal against Town in February 2011 — headed against the bar. Dunne hit the sidenetting with the rebound. The Blues swapped Murphy for Paul Taylor.
Austin shot low to Loach in the 67th minute with the home side continuing to dominate the second half and the Blues only making the occasional foray forward.
On 72 Loach saved well from Austin after the striker was found at the far post by Simpson but the flag had already been raised.
Tunnicliffe cut out a Simpson cross from the right in the 74th minute with Town largely under the cosh and unable to keep hold of the ball. From the resultant corner, Hill headed well over.
QPR spurned a golden opportunity to go in front in the 78th minute when Wright-Phillips floated the ball over Chambers leaving both Austin and Zamora in on goal. The former Burnley striker seemed certain to score but somehow slammed his shot from 10 yards out against the bar.
There was a rare chance for the Blues soon after, the ball falling to Tunnicliffe on the edge of the area after Town’s first corner of the half but the on-loan Manchester United man scraped his strike wide.
A Dunne error allowed McGoldrick to bring the ball in from the right in the 84th minute but the striker’s shot from a tight angle was blocked by Green. His rebound deflected out to Hyam, but the ball caught the midfielder’s hand.
Two minutes later, sub Taylor was replaced by Frank Nouble and went straight down the tunnel, presumably having picked up a knock.
In the final minute of scheduled time, the goal which had been on the cards for most of the second half finally came.
Having been found on the left by a fantastic Barton pass, Wright-Phillips cut the ball back from the by-line and Austin’s mis-hit shot was tapped in at the far post by sub Tom Hitchcock, -the son of QPR keeper-coach Kevin - seven minutes after coming on to make his Rangers debut.
In injury time, Austin hammered a shot over, then at the other end Cresswell’s 30-yard strike deflected narrowly wide. Smith’s header to Green from the resultant corner was the last action before referee Naylor blew his final whistle.
After an evenly-balanced first half, Rangers took control after the break and should have been ahead prior to Hitchcock’s goal with Austin’s miss as glaring as they come.
The Blues battled bravely, rode their luck and created the odd opening, but overall the home side deserved the points, despite the timing of the goal being harsh on Mick McCarthy’s men.
QPR: Green, Simpson, Onuoha, Dunne, Hill, Barton, Henry (Jenas 77), Wright-Phillips, Hoilett (O’Neil 55), Zamora (Hitchcock 83), Austin. Unused: Murphy, Suk-Young, Ehmer, Shariff.
Town: Loach, Hewitt, Chambers, Smith, Cresswell, Edwards, Skuse (Tunnicliffe 46), Hyam, Tabb, McGoldrick, Murphy (Taylor 62 (Nouble 86)). Unused: Crowe, Veseli, Berra, Anderson. Ref: Michael Naylor (South Yorkshire). Att: 17,075 (Town: 1,789).