With the team suffering three defeats in a row the visit of Preston was seen as a good chance to get back to winning ways. Ian Holloway surprised many with a very attacking team. Just two changes from Saturday as Rowlands replaced the injured Doherty in central midfield and Santos was dropped to the bench with Baidoo getting a first start of the season. A central midfield partnership of Rowlands and Langley is one many have been dreaming of for a long time but for whatever reason it soon turned into a nightmare.

Rangers started quite well on a foggy West London evening. We knocked the ball around well, Royce was throwing it out to his full backs as we looked to build from the back and Baidoo's movement was a worry for the visitors.

Lee Cook was looking much brighter and combined well with Dyer to create an early opening but his cross just evaded the front two. Cook went close soon after with a good shot from outside the box but it was straight at the keeper who made a comfortable save.

We were playing some decent stuff and one lovely move almost resulted in a goal. Langley started the move with Cook on the right and Gallen ended up playing a ball in which was knocked down by Baidoo for Cook to shoot and the keeper made a decent save.

Preston were offering very little as an attacking force although Shittu and Evatt were struggling at times with the pace of Agyemang when the visitors broke away.

Rangers should have grabbed the lead after 15 minutes but Dermott Gallagher disallowed it. Gallen did brilliantly on the left holding the ball up and beating three players with a delicious turn. His cross was chested in by Baidoo but the goal was ruled out for handball, which looked a poor decision.

Rangers continued to look bright and Cook had another effort from outside the box, which was comfortably saved, but this was much better than the tripe on offer at Plymouth on Saturday. Rowlands was looking busy in midfield whilst the front two were causing problems.

Ranger's main problem came as the half wore on and that first goal didn't come. Shittu began to play long balls as the midfield stopped dropping off looking for the ball. Langley was struggling to get in the game as he was closely marked and Ainsworth for all his heart and effort was continually giving the ball away. He did come close to giving us the lead after good work by Baidoo and Gallen but he volleyed wide of the goal.

The game was becoming frustrating for Rangers but we were still the better side and almost took the lead via our best move of the match. It came from a counter attack as Bignot won the ball and played it to Dyer and we broke quickly down the left. Cook eventually played a lovely little pass through to Baidoo but the youngster's shot was well saved by the keeper. The corner was frustratingly wasted.

AT half time a few boos went round the ground but this wasn't a bad performance so far We had been the better side and deserved to be in front. Sadly the second half didn't match the promise of the first.

Rangers won an early second half free kick in Langley territory but for some reason Shittu decided to take it and shot well wide of the goal. Someone really needs to tell Shittu to get away from these free kicks and leave it to the players who might make the keeper work.

We continued to be control of the game as Ainsworth had a shot which went over and Cook got in a good position out wide but wasted the cross. We badly needed a goal but ended up conceding one with some dire (no pun intended) defending. Lloyd Dyer had the chancre to boot the ball out but decided to chase Agyemang and lost the race. The cross in should have been cut out by Evatt but he was painfully slow in getting to it and Nugent (a second half sub) got there first and made it 1-0.

At this point the heart and soul went out of Rangers and we looked a beaten side. Gallen tried to get something out of the crowd but we could all see the game was virtually gone and the team seemed to have no idea how to get back in the game. We huffed and puffed but Preston were now comfortable. Stefan Moore replaced Lee Cook in a moment, which reminded us that Cook had come out for the second half and later Santos and Bean replaced a tiring Baidoo and Ainsworth.

The chances were now few and far between although Santos started a neat move, which resulted in Gallen going close to an equaliser.

With ten minutes left Shittu decided to have another 30 yard shot which was as embarrassing as his last one. Preston them killed the game off with their second attack of the game, well it wasn't even an attack really. Bignot tried to turn on the edge of his own box but was closed down and lost the ball leaving Davidson with as easy a goal as he'll ever score. The ground then began to empty and perhaps an egg timer was turned on Ian Holloway as a fourth defeat in a row can't be doing his future at Loftus Road any good.

In the last few minutes we actually made a few chances as Santos headed wide then a lovely back heel from Langley and cross from Dyer ended with a fierce shot from Moore going straight at the keeper.

In the end about 5,000 fans must have been left to clap/boo the team off after a frustrating night at Loftus Road.

So four defeats in a row now for Rangers and not a pleasant time to be a QPR fan. This wasn't a dreadful performance by Rangers but it wasn't good enough. In the first half we were the better side but after the break we were so poor and with the players we had on the pitch that's not really good enough. Ian Holloway gets plenty of stick for picking "cloggers" in midfield but tonight was probably his most attacking midfield since he took over and it still didn't' work.

Sadly Ainsworth and Cook were dire whilst Langley just looks so short of confidence and self-belief it is frightening. Rowlands had a decent game but as expected faded in the second half having not played a full game since August.

Up front Baidoo again caught the eye whilst Gallen did well but the entire back four will want to forget tonight with all of them having very poor nights.

Hull City are next at Loftus Road and I get the feeling this is a must win game for Ian Holloway especially now we have a chairmen who hasn't hung around in getting rid of staff over the last few months and several fans are now beginning to turn against him.

Man of the Match: Shabazz Baidoo
Players Ratings: Royce 6, Bignot 5, Dyer 6, Evatt 5, Shittu 5, Rowlands 7, Langley 6, Ainsworth 6 (Bean 6), Cook 5 (Moore 7) Gallen 7, Baidoo 8 (Santos 6)