Half-time: QPR 1 Derby County 0

Tjaronn Chery’s brilliant left-footed strike – his third goal in his last five matches – put QPR ahead.

In-form keeper Alex Smithies played a big part in Rangers’ 24th-minute opener at Loftus Road, where the home side have grown in confidence since taking the lead.[phone][/phone]

Smithies threw the ball to James Perch near the halfway line and the full-back galloped down the left and delivered a perfect cross to Chery, who guided the ball into the net with a sublime volley.

Earlier, Sebastian Polter, back in the QPR starting line-up along with Clint Hill, Matt Phillips, Junior Hoilett and Alejandro Faurlin, went close with a long-range shot that went just wide.

And four minutes after his goal, Chery tried his luck with another left-footed effort that that flashed narrowly wide too.

Rangers went close again seven minutes before the break, when Phillips was just unable to connect with Hoilett’s left-wing cross.

QPR: Smithies, Onuoha, Angella, Hill, Perch, Faurlin Henry, Phillips, Chery, Hoilett, Polter.
Subs: Ingram, Konchesky, Tozser, Petrasso, El Khayati, Mackie, Washington.