Town centre-half Christophe Berra believes there was little between the Blues and QPR in the two games the sides have played this season, despite the West Londoners taking all six points from the matches.

At Loftus Road in August debutant Tom Hitchcock came off the bench to score a last-gasp winner, while Rangers won 3-1 at Portman Road on Saturday, even though Town had had the better of the goalless first half.

"In the first game they scored in the last minute and [on Saturday] we were unfortunate again. That's football for you,“ said Berra.

"If you look at the two teams on paper and the budget they have got they are day and night really, but if you watch the game there was nothing in it really.

“After the second goal they started to play nice little passes but before that they were in a game and we really should have got something out of it."

The Scotland international felt Town ought to have gone in ahead at the break: “We were unfortunate not to go in at half-time in the lead.

“We had some good opportunities and chances where we should have done better by hitting the target or making the keeper make a save.

"In the second half we started fine and their goal came out of nothing. Kranjcar did well to hit a shot across goal and the keeper was unsighted and couldn't do anything about it.

"The second one it was just one of those things. Gerks has been top-notch for us and it was just unfortunate he couldn't parry it to the side instead of putting it straight back in the middle.

“He has been a top player for us, he has made some great saves and it was just one of those things. We all make mistakes and that's life.”

Berra is confident that Gerken will quickly put the error behind him: "He knows he has been a superb player for us.

“He pulled off some superb saves even in this game, like from Charlie Austin's header, and throughout the season he has been a top lad. He's a strong character, we won't worry about him. He'll bounce back.”

Despite Saturday’s result seeing the Blues drop to ninth, the 28-year-old says Town are capable of making the play-offs: "Definitely, I think so. There are about 10 teams who could get there so it's going to be competitive to the end of the season.

"We have a small squad and a small budget and hopefully we can stay injury free. I think that was our fourth defeat in 22 games.

"For a squad that size that's really good. Now we have got to bounce back and look at the positives from this game and the things we could obviously do better and we will move on.”

Gary O'Neil, who scored his first QPR goal, was pleased with his side’s win and that they netted three times: “It was good, it was nice to score some goals as well - we haven't scored too many.

“It was a good performance and we ground it out first half. It was a tough pitch to play on but we were solid and managed to be clinical in the second half.”

Photo: Action Images

Surco72 added 08:17 - Jan 13 Apart from the 6 points they have taken compared to our zero , no point be plucky losers
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SouperJim added 08:49 - Jan 13 Surco if you read the article that point is made in the first paragraph. I went to both games and there wasn't that much in either of them, but QPR are better than us and fine margins win games. No point crying about it, as Yogi says 4 defeats in 22 is a remarkable record with this squad. If we continue to punch above our weight we might just sneak into the playoffs, but if not then maybe we can strengthen over the summer and be there by rights next year.

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DurhamTownFan added 10:02 - Jan 13 Agree with Souperjim, above. It really is the small margins that separate the best from the rest. You could tell that QPR just had that little edge. Count the number of international caps from them, with players like Wright-Philipps on the bench, Green in goal, Dunne at CB and Kranjcar breaking the deadlock, and I think we did alright! Like Souperjim says, if we can sneak in the top 6 this year that for me would be amazing, given the resources MM has had to play with (i.e., very little). But if we can finish near the top and keep grinding out tough draws, I think more players will be likely to come to us, knowing we've got a chance for next year.

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irishtim added 10:20 - Jan 13 Sensible posts Souperjim & DurhamTownFan.
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blueherts added 12:19 - Jan 13 Good , seems alot of sensible , reasoned people around today - We all acknowledge we are 'punching above our weight' vs the recently relegated Prem teams and those with wealthy overseas owners . We are in the pack chasing one spot . realistically , but when you look at how things change in afew weeks we cannot afford too many injuries . Leeds have completely folded ( funny!) but Middlesboro and Blackburn seem to be getting some form going We are mostly all realists but that final P-off spot could go to the end of the season All respect for Leicester( despite overseas owners!) and Derby who have built teams that play good football without going out spending silly money . Pearson has been knocking on the door for a couple of years - wheareas we have not even been invited to the party in the last several seasons so any finish , IMO , in the top 8-10 is a good return with this squad of players and something to build expectations on next season

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ChrisMakin2012 added 12:24 - Jan 13 Apart from their ability to keep clean sheets and low scores not to mention their ability to kill teams off. Compared to our 1-1 nothingness's.
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fifeblue added 12:40 - Jan 13 I went to the away game. QPR outplayed Ipswich from the first minute to the last. It was a late goal, yes, but it could have been 6-0, it was so one-sided. But Ipswich have improved over the season whereas QPR haven't. I fear it is too late to mount a challenge for the top two now but Ipswich are good enough for the play-offs.
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TimmyH added 16:50 - Jan 13 I bet if we played QPR a couple more times this season we still wouldn't beat them unlike Doncaster, as mentioned they were better than us at their place but agreed very marginal who was the better team on Saturday. Unfortunately we've got very few points against the 'bigger' teams this season and that speaks volumes as where we are at present, OK at grinding the points out against lesser teams.

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Surco72 added 18:04 - Jan 13 Love the minus points for my comment did I state something untrue ? I went to both games and thought the first we were played off the park and the second we didn't have the class to win . Football is about small margins which is why you need something different which we do not possess enough of IMO which is why we have only won 2 against teams in the top half of the table at present . Souperjim you look at 4 defeats in 22 , but you can also look at no result tomorrow and its 1 win in 8 ? ,MM took over a team that finished low mid table who had been on a bad run at the start of the following season , again IMO we are still a mid table team and will see at the end of the season . My point was that it is no good putting in a good performance against the likes of QPR etc and losing and then drawing at Barnsley , Sheff Weds , Bournemouth etc . And the squad you say he is doing a remarkable job with is his squad ,and for me the better players for us McGoldrick aside are players he inherited Cresswell,Smith,Chambers, Murphy , Taylor when he is allowed to play

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NoCanariesAllowed added 18:08 - Jan 13 I don't really think there's ever much between any of the teams in this division, bar a few exceptionally good and bad sides at the far ends of the table each year. The rest are all much of a muchness, hence why we so often see anybody beating anybody and different teams in the mix every season. To that end, it's the teams that can find the 'little something extra' in more games than not that usually achieve success. The problem is that I don't think that 'little something extra' is actually that easy to come by. And I'm not sure money necessarily buys it either. It's a combination of various things that have to click.

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blueboy1981 added 18:55 - Jan 13 ...... the difference in play counts for nothing in the reckoning - the scoreline does. That's the real analysis.
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blueboy1981 added 18:58 - Jan 13 Surco72 - good post, spot on.
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blueboy1981 added 19:01 - Jan 13 TimmyH & Surco72 - be careful! - you'll get the minus button for even a hint of negativity.
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