Harvey Vale’s first goal for QPR gave them a 1-0 victory against early high-flyers Stoke at Loftus Road – the west London side’s third consecutive win.
Both teams missed chances before Rangers made the all-important breakthrough in the 75th minute.
The lively Koki Saito pulled the ball back from the right and Lewis Baker, in trying to clear the danger, inadvertently teed up Vale, who sent a precise left-footed strike into the far corner.
Then, in stoppage time, Liam Morrison superbly prevented a Stoke equaliser by clearing Aaron Cresswell’s shot off the line after goalkeeper Paul Nardi had flapped at Sorba Thomas’ cross.
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Harvey Vale celebrates after giving QPR the lead against Stoke City
Julien Stephan’s side have responded emphatically to their 7-1 drubbing at Coventry last month.
Their third straight win since that debacle was thoroughly deserved, with Stoke riding their luck before Vale eventually found the net.
Rangers created a number of chances in the first half, the best of which fell to Vale after just four minutes.
After Morrison had dispossessed Baker deep in the Stoke half, Richard Kone set up Vale but the former Chelsea man could only shoot tamely at Viktor Johansson.
Keeper Johansson also kept out a strike from Saito before Kone fired wide of the near post after linking up nicely with Rumarn Burrell.
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Harvey Vale fires QPR in front against Stoke at Loftus Road.
Kone then went close to giving Rangers the lead in spectacular fashion, sending a venomous left-footed shot narrowly wide of the far post after cutting in from the right-hand side.
QPR kept up the pressure after the interval and Johansson kept out another shot from Saito, with Vale unable to bundle in the rebound.
Rangers seemed to be on top but then had a lucky escape when Million Manhoef missed a sitter, heading over from four yards after being found unmarked by Thomas’ left-wing cross.
It was an appalling miss and also Manhoef’s final touch of the match – he was substituted almost immediately afterwards.
Stoke were quickly on the back foot again, with Kone heading over from Vale’s corner, Nicolas Madsen shooting over, and Johansson reacting quickly to save a left-footed effort from Vale.
Burrell then missed an excellent opportunity to break the deadlock midway through the second half.
Amadou Mbengue lifted the ball forward towards Kone, who perfectly played it in from the left towards his strike partner but Burrell was unable to find a way past Johansson.
Vale, on the other hand, gave Johansson no chance with a thumping finish.
The managers
QPR’s Julien Stephan:
“In the last 20 minutes I had a lot of hesitation and, to be honest, I imagined that Kaddie would enter the pitch for Harvey, yes. It was the plan.
“I wanted to create something different with Kaddie one-v-one against the left-back.
“But we didn’t change and in the last 15 minutes I felt the players were continuing to do well physically and to enter the pitch in these kind of games is not easy. So we chose to stay like this.
“Sometimes you feel you have to change and sometimes you feel you don’t have to change.”
Stoke’s Mark Robins:
“A 1-0 defeat and it might be perceived as narrow but I didn’t think we were anywhere near our best.
“I’ve got to make demands of people and I’ve got to see reactions and responses from individuals because that wasn’t reflective of anything we’ve been doing.
“They’ve got to respond. It can’t be just doing it when you want to – you’ve got to do it when you don’t want to, when you feel really tired or below par, you have to give a performance.
“I might be being too harsh but I want them to drive themselves. I’m not going to accept that.”