Sheffield United bounced back from their loss to Championship leaders Coventry City to beat QPR for a fifth win in eight games and leapfrog Rangers.
Chris Wilder’s side lost momentum with Wednesday’s defeat to Coventry and they provided the perfect response to suggest they could still make a late play-off push.
United were ruthless at MATRADE Loftus Road as Callum O’Hare and Tyrese Campbell scored from their first two efforts on target before Sydie Peck forced a save from QPR goalkeeper Joe Walsh in the dying minutes.
Defeat ended a miserable week for Rangers, following Tuesday’s 5-0 mauling by Southampton, and Julien Stephan’s side have only won two of their last nine league games.
United led after 13 minutes when Peck and Tahith Chong combined well down the right and Blades midfielder O’Hare squeezed his shot home at the far post from close range.
O’Hare’s strike sees him join Patrick Bamford on nine as the Blades’ leading scorer and the visitors threatened to double their lead, but Japhet Tanganga missed with a shot before Campbell also went close.
The second goal did come on 33 minutes when Peck set up Campbell and he lashed home a beautiful strike from outside the box for his sixth goal of the season.
Adam Davies made only his fourth appearance of the season in place of Michael Cooper, who was ruled out with a knee injury, and the Wales goalkeeper kept out a header from Richard Kone from Rangers’ first effort on target.
O’Hare might have had a second and his shot from Peck’s corner missed the target.
Rangers thought they had pulled a goal back 17 minutes from time when Kone headed home Harry Vale’s corner, but it was disallowed for offside.
Kone also sent a close-range header wide before Isaac Hayden missed with a late header.