3 things we clearly learnt about QPR after their 1-0 loss v Blackburn

Reda Khadra’s free-kick proved to be decisive yesterday lunchtime as his strike ended up being the difference between Blackburn Rovers and fellow promotion hopefuls Queens Park Rangers.

The Brighton and Hove Albion loanee had a couple of chances in the first half to put the hosts in the driving seat – but was unable to convert as Tony Mowbray’s men were made to wait until the 77th minute to make the all-important breakthrough.

It was his set-piece on the left-hand side that caused David Marshall real problems, with the latter unable to get any contact on the ball as it flew into the back of the net and has only gone on to deepen Mark Warburton’s side’s woes

This result has allowed the Lancashire outfit to leapfrog this weekend’s opponents, bouncing back extremely well from their last-minute loss against Sheffield United in midweek and securing what could be a vital three points for them in the play-off race.

In the other camp, it looks set to be a grim post-mortem for QPR as they continue to decline and they will need to get themselves back into top shape quickly if they remain in promotion contention for the foreseeable future.

Looking back on yesterday’s performance, we pick out three things we clearly learnt about the away side.

Marshall hasn’t done his long-term starting chances any good

After seeing Marshall perform well in Seny Dieng’s absence whilst the latter was at the African Cup of Nations, the Scotland international looked set to retain his starting spot for the foreseeable future.

Previously left out in the cold at Derby, the 36-year-old was a man with a point to prove and it certainly showed with the shot-stopper living up to expectations.

However, he will know as well as anyone else that he was at fault