by Mark Denham, from Cardiff City Stadium.

Snapshot

Cardiff City succumbed to a second consecutive home defeat to QPR on Saturday afternoon.

Fresh on the back of a good midweek win, the Bluebirds struggled to find any real rhythm against a stubborn QPR side. Jay Simpson was the man who secured the points for the away side, firing home from six yards out after twenty minutes and again from the right hand side of the area five minutes from half time.

City struggled to get back in to the game in the second half, Rangers looking more likely to get a third than City did to score. It was a frustrating afternoon for the twenty thousand strong Bluebirds crowd, a game that Dave Jones' men will quickly look to forget as they prepare for Villa next Wednesday.

Chronological Report

City kicked off from left to right on a bright afternoon at Cardiff City Stadium. The opening exchanges were quiet, though the Bluebirds soon got in to their stride.

City won a free kick just outside the Rangers penalty area on seven minutes after Joe Ledley had been brought down following a neat Whittingham through ball. Whittingham took the free-kick, aiming for the head of Jay Bothroyd, but the returning Kaspars Gorkss headed away the danger for the away side.

The game seemed to settle after this early moment of excitement, the following ten minutes only really broken up by a strong, committed challenge by Paul Quinn on the returning Wayne Routledge. Jay Simpson looked for a moment to be in behind Mark Hudson in front of goal on the fifteen minute mark, though the slide rule pass from Rowan Vine had just too much pace on it for the on-loan Arsenal man to reach.

It was Rangers who took the lead after nineteen minutes when Simpson slotted home the easiest of finishes from six yards out. Rowan Vine again caused disruption on the edge of the City area, his tame shot being deflected through the legs of Anthony Gerrard before falling nicely in to the stride of Simpson. The away side deserved the lead, perhaps being the better of the two sides after twenty minutes of play in a game that struggled to find flow or rhythm.

GOAL: Cardiff City0-1 QPR (Jay Simpson, 19).

Apparently rocked by the early goal, City looked somewhat panicked in attack for the subsequent passages of play. It was Solomon Taiwo who looked the most likely to settle the home side down, his neat and tidy midfield play standing out among other rather frenetic moments of play.

City earned a free-kick thirty yards out after twenty-six minutes of play, Whittingham's disguised shot deflecting for a corner on the far left of the field. Whittingham's corner was dangerous, though the curl of the ball evaded everyone allowing Rangers to clear easily.

It was approaching the half hour mark before City had their first chance on goal; Whittingham again ventured forward up the left hand touch line before laying off Joe Ledley to strike at Rangers 'keeper Cerny. There was venom in the effort, though Cerny was right down the line of it and collected easily.

Rangers had a golden opportunity to double their lead in the very next attack. The diminutive Simpson again found space in behind the Bluebirds back-four before cutting inside and shooting when he arguably should have played in a demonstrative and superbly placed Rowan Vine. The score remained the same, though Rangers could have sealed this up before the interval.

This was a first-half void of significant penalty area activity. City began looking more dangerous in the final third, though their opportunities on goal, similar to those that Rangers created, were long range efforts that failed to threaten.

That was until the fortieth minute. Simpson got his second goal of the game after Taiwo had been much too easily dispossessed by Routledge in the centre of midfield. Routledge ran directly at the heart of the Bluebirds defence before playing in Simpson superbly with the outside of his boot. Simpson was composed and clinical, striking home from the right hand side of the area past a flailing David Marshall.

GOAL: Cardiff City 0-2 QPR (Jay Simpson, 40).

The half played out without much more real activity, City appearing frustrated with QPR as they knocked the ball fluidly around the centre of the park.

HALF TIME: Cardiff City 0-2 QPR

QPR started the second half in much the same fashion as they finished the first. An apparently scuffed corner from the far side taken by Ben Watson would have fallen for either Simpson or Gorkss to tuck home from two yards out had Paul Quinn not managed to hook the ball away at the death.

Cardiff were struggling to clear their lines, allowing Rangers to ping the ball back and forth around and inside the City area. Rowan Vine was an inch from settling the game on fifty-two minutes when he beat Marshall from the left of the area and struck the upright after being played onside by Quinn.

Dave Jones made changes on fifty-five minutes, introducing Gavin Rae and Josh Magennis in place of Solomon Taiwo and Peter Whittingham. City seemed to lack urgency and much of that crisp, urgent football that has been part of their early season form.

Substitutions: Cardiff City - Gavin Rae for Solomon Taiwo and Josh Magennis for Peter Whittingham (54 mins).

City's three pronged attack offered more options in theory, though the Bluebirds continued to struggle against a resistant Rangers back-line. Josh Magennis began to see a lot of the ball, though even his physical presence seemed unable to threaten Cerny. Riccy Scimeca was introduced with twenty-five minutes to play as City reverted to type to try and get back in to the game.

Substitution: Cardiff City - Riccy Scimeca for Jay Bothroyd (65 mins).

Cardiff's most likely goal threat continued to look like Chris Burke. The wide man struck low and hard again from just outside the area on seventy-four minutes, preceding Cardiff's best chance of the game. Josh Magennis found himself free inside the Rangers penalty area after evading the challenge of Mikele Leigertwood, though the youngster mis-hit his effort when one on one with Cerny to the frustration of the 20,000 strong crowd.

Substitution: QPR - Allesandro Pellicori for Jay Simpson (76 mins).

Substitution: QPR - Patrick Agyemang for Rowan Vine (82 mins).

The remaining ten minutes of the game were uneventful. Rangers pumped their balls long towards Agyemang and denied City any possession in the centre of the park. It was a sorry afternoon for Dave Jones' men, one they will need to quickly put behind them.

Full Time: Cardiff City 0-2 QPR