Frustrations and frailties continue for QPR as Tigers take the points at Loftus Road

QPR 1 Hull City 3

Julian Taylor at Loftus Road

Queens Park Rangers are still looking for their first home win of the season, after an encounter marked by sheer defensive frailty as Hull City took all three points back to east Yorkshire.

Marti Cifuentes' side now drop three places to 20th in the Championship; a statistic that looks all too familiar for QPR fans.

Yet all three goals the R's conceded could have been avoided, and a bright start came to nothing. Hull City looked sharper going forward and this is the kind of result that will, conversely, kick start their own campaign.

QPR had hoped to recover from the 2-0 weekend defeat at Blackburn. Yet this latest setback makes the task of a trip to Derby County on Saturday all the more taxing.

Much has changed in terms of personnel as R's boss Cifuentes can now begin to evaluate how his team will look, after the Spaniard recruited ten new players over the summer. The job looks as tough as ever, particularly at the back, while up front the west Londoners were frustratingly wasteful.

Cody Drameh shot Hull ahead before Chris Bedia doubled the Tigers' lead. Nicolas Madsen halved the deficit just before half time, but a goal late in the second half from Liam Millar sealed the contest for the Tigers.

Koki Saido's performance was certainly the brightest takeaway for QPR, the Japanese looking at times a very elegant and impactful performer.

Bright

Cifuentes could not have complained at the bright start from his men as QPR asserted themselves in fine fashion on a wet and blustery evening in west London.

Sam Field and Saito drew terrific saves from Tigers' keeper Ivar Pandur inside the first five minutes, as the visitors struggled to get organised.

Hull City, for their part, arrived in the capital with a mixed run of form at the beginning of a campaign where they have their own ambitions to break into the play-off places. However, it was their last two results, a 3-1 victory at Stoke City and a 4-1 triumph over Cardiff City that were of particular note. Their German manager, Tim Walter, like Cifuentes, has how own challenges to revive a team, who, like QPR, historically underachieve.

Lucas Andersen was next to take aim at the Hull goal but the midfielders' effort went a yard over.

QPR's profligacy proved to be a costly,, when the Tigers took the lead in the 24th minute. The hosts failed to clear the ball properly and with Drameh lurking on the edge of the penalty area, the defender hit a sweer strike with his right foot low into the corner of the net.

QPR's approach play was decent, except occasionally the final ball was proving to be inaccurate, while at the same time the goal clearly emboldened Hull to a large extent, the east Yorkshire outfit having more and more possession as the first half wore on.

Calamity

And a defensive calamity cost the R's when they went two goals down in the 36th minute. A really poor concession saw Andersen initially fail to clear the ball - and his hesitancy ended up with an unmarked Bedia slamming the ball into the net at the far post. If QPR were attractive enough going forward, the goals they conceded were simply so avoidable, negating any scope for recovery.

Still, referee Thomas Kirk awarded the R's a penalty three minutes to half time. Lewie Coyle handled inside the box from Andersen's free kick from the left. Madsen despatched the spot kick high into the corner. Cifuentes will likely entrust the Dane with the penalty duties this season after he scored ten from the spot for previous club, Westerloo, in 2023-24.

Cifuentes made a like-for-like interval substitution, sending on striker Zan Celar for Frey.

And the R's appeared more focused and certainly determined to level the encounter, pressing Hull at every opportunity. Saito clipped the outside of the post after darting past a couple of anxious, visiting defenders - this was proving to be the best outing for the Japanese forward so far this season. The pressure didn't last.

Hull remained a threat on the counter attack and they probably should have made it three on the hour mark. Liam Millar did well to get a cross in from the left before Mohamed Belloumi headed over the bar from close range.

Cifuentes sent on Paul Smyth for Andersen in an effort to inject more pace which the Northern Ireland winger can bring to these situations.

On the other hand, such a switch becomes futile when a rear guard has a porous appearance, as QPR's did in the 70th minute - Hull netting the third and clinical goal of the night.

At the second attempt, Millar shot home from just inside the penalty area when Hevertton Santos hesitated to challenge. It was quite an infuriating goal to concede from the Hoops' perspective.

Illias Chair came on for the ineffective Kader Dembele in a move borne out of necessity in the latter stages. It made no difference, as Hull City looked capable of adding a fourth on the break. The Tigers finished strongly and ultimately merited the points.

R's: Nardi, Dunne, Cook, Dembele (Chair 73), Field, Frey (Celar 46), Saito (Dixon-Bonner 83), Paal, Santos, Madsen (Lloyd 82), Andersen (Smyth 65)