QPR 1-3 Reading  

This gutting defeat left Rangers with just one point from the last nine.

Kevin Doyle scored against old club and became an incredible seventh ex-Royal to do so this season, and Will Keane offered hope after a heartening debut.

But there was precious little else to cheer the 15,000-plus home fans on a day when Joey Barton misses the next two games through suspension after picking up his 10 yellow card of the season.

Former Hoop Kaspars Gorkss also sits out the next three after he was adjudged worthy of a straight red for a challenge on Junior Hoilett.

But even though Reading were a man light for the last 20 minutes, Rangers barely threatened to reduce the arrears.

Adam Le Fondre started the rot on just 10 minutes  when he was given the freedom of the left before he centred. But if that was bad enough, the criminal marking that saw Danny Williams rise unopposed from eight yards and nod beyond Rob Green into the corner was worse.

It wasn’t as if the midfielder was invisible with his blond thatch catching the winter sun. Seconds later he was given room again. This time his tamer header was safely gathered by Rs keeper.

Leveller: Kevin Doyle bundles the ball home to make it 1-1

Jordan Obita was the culprit that gave Rangers a way back.

The defender left Will Keane onside and a chance to stab at goal after Hoilett’s effort was beaten out. As Reading players looked to the assistant in vain, Doyle looked only to smuggle the ball beyond the keeper for the equaliser.

Gorkss nearly did his former team an unwitting favour seconds later.

The former Ranger turned Hoilett’s cross-cum-shot on to the base of the near post, and from the resulting corner, Keane glanced a header that skimmed the roof of the net.

Obita nearly atoned for his dallying in defence when he fired a curling cross that flew past everyone seven minutes from the break.

Benoit Asso-Ekotto let fly but the ball was along the ground, and 10 minutes into the second half Hope Akpan was closer for Rangers with an intended clearance that was sliced and flew into the arms of Alex McCarthy.

Heads I win! Alex Pearce powers in Reading's second goal

The second Reading goal owed much to the bravery of Alex Pearce as he thundered in a header from a corner at the near post, and it was 3-1 two minutes later.

There was nothing and no one that would have stopped Garath McCleary’s angled rocket from 25 yards – never mind Green, beaten all hands down as the ball flew past his right hand into the top corner.

It got worse.

Barton’s yellow and a two-game suspension for a foul on Adam Le Fondre by the byline, was followed by Doyle missing an easy header as he failed to connect with Hoilett’s dinked cross from the right.

The referee did his best to even things up when he showed Gorkss a straight red for a challenge on Hoilett. There was even a hint the defender got a touch on the ball, before he upended the Rangers man, but most would have given a yellow card at most.

Barton being Barton was not about to go quietly, and his dipping shot was a bare foot over the bar.

Wouldst that Burnley and Leicester above Rs in the Championship were just as close.   

QPR: Green; Hughes, Dunne, Hill, Assou-Ekotto (Benayoun 78); Hoilett, Barton, Kranjcar, Traore; Keane (Zamora 57), Doyle.

Subs (not used): Murphy, Jenas, Onuoha, Henry, Maiga