For the second consecutive season, Rangers surrendered a half-time lead to lose against Grimsby at Blundell Park. Substitute Steve Livingstone came off the bench to score twice on a hugely disappointing night for Rangers.

Karl Connolly repaid Gerry Francis' decision to hand him a starting place by giving QPR the lead but Grimsby turned it around in the second-half. From Richard Langley's 19th minute corner, Connolly capitalised on some hesitant defending to turn the ball into the net for his second goal in three days.

QPR had survived an early scare when Jermaine Darlington cleared David Nielsen's header off the line after Grimsby's on-loan striker connected well with Kevin Donovan's cross. Rangers, with Gavin Peacock starting his first match since August in place of the dropped Stuart Wardley, enjoyed a good spell after Connolly's goal and Peter Crouch's shot-on-the-turn was well held by goalkeeper Danny Coyne, who also gathered Langley's speculative 30-yard drive.

But Grimsby dominated the later stages of the first-half and after skipper Paul Groves' header from Danny Butterfield's free-kick was saved by Lee Harper, former Rangers man Bradley Allen got behind the QPR defence to volley David Smith's long ball over the bar.

Clarke Carlisle could have sent Rangers in at interval two ahead however, and was unlucky to see his header clear the bar after surging towards the edge of the Grimsby penalty area to meet Connolly's right-wing cross.

The incident proved to be decisive because seven minutes into the second-half, Grimsby were ahead.

Livingstone was sent on at half-time and took just five minutes to haul the home side level. Rangers, who conceded two goals from set-pieces at Watford on Saturday, were caught sleeping by Tony Gallimore's free-kick, which Harper had to palm away after none of his defenders cleared.

When Smith quickly pounced on the loose ball and crossed into the box, Rangers again failed to react and Harper was this time unable to rescue his team, with Livingstone's looping header finding the top left-hand corner of the net. The goal gave Grimsby a huge lift and Nielsen ran half the length of the pitch and dragged a shot wide of the target, before making no mistake with a fine left-footed volley from Stacy Coldicott's cross a minute later. Harper stood motionless as the ball swept past him.

The goal marked an emphatic introduction to English football by Nielsen, who was making his full debut for Grimsby following a switch from FC Copenhagen and was unquestionably the best player on the field, which he left to a standing ovation with eight minutes remaining. Allen was also impressive and had a rasping shot pushed away by Harper, before rattling the bar with the kind of left-footed volley he scored with on more than a couple of occasions during his QPR days.

He was unfortunate not to find the net, which Livingstone gleefully did for the second time on 74 minutes, shooting past Harper after being virtually invited to stroll into the box and try his luck. The final stages were comfortable for Grimsby, who were given little to trouble them in a second-half during which Rangers performed abysmally. Sammy Koejoe's shot saved at the near post by Coyne after a swift counter attack was Rangers' only signifcant response to going 3-1 down.

Rangers, still without an away win this season, must improve quickly if a season that looked destined to be spent languishing in mid table before this game is not to turn out to be another battle against relegation.

Rangers: Harper 6, Carlisle 6, Morrow 5, Perry 6 (Wardley, 67: 6), Darlington 6, Peacock 6, Langley 6, Warren 5, Crouch 5, Koejoe 5, Connolly 6. Subs not used: Heinola, Miklosko, Bruce, Murray. FootballNews Man Of The Match: Langley