Full-time: Queens Park Rangers 2 Bristol City 1

Bristol City's Championship play-off quest suffered a potentially fatal blow in west London.

In need of three points to remain within touching distance of the top six, the Robins finished second best to Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.

A sterile encounter only came to life when Spanish midfield ace Jordi Lopez rammed home a brilliant free kick to break the deadlock in the 65th minute.

City thought they had salvaged a point when Michael McIndoe volleyed them level in thunderous fashion 13 minutes from time.

But Rangers restored their lead four minutes later, Adel Taarbabt beating keeper Adriano Basso from close range to send City into the two-week break for international matches in low spirits.

It was a sucker punch of the worst kind, reminiscent of the late winner Derby County poached at Pride Park earlier in the month.

With six games to play, City require other results to go their way if there is to be any repeat of last season's march to the play-off final.

Forced into making changes by injury and suspension, Bristol City boss Gary Johnson recalled Dele Adebola, Cole Skuse and Ivan Sproule in place of Louis Carey, Stern John and Gavin Williams, in the process reverting to the 4-3-3 formation which served his team well in games against Watford and Crystal Palace at Christmas.

And there was a surprise on the substitutes' bench in the form of midfielder Marvin Elliott, restored to the first team squad for the first time since tearing a groin muscle at Plymouth Argyle in January.

Rangers' top scorer Dexter Blackstock failed a late fitness test, but winger Wayne Routledge had recovered sufficiently from the injury which ruled him out of the 1-0 midweek win over Swansea to return to the bench.

This was a game neither side could afford to lose, given their positions outside of the play-off zone. Defeat would all but end Rangers' slim hopes of achieving a top-six finish, while City, four points adrift of the play-off places before kick-off, required victory to put pressure on the likes of Burnley, Preston and Cardiff.

Just as they did last season when they beat the Robins 3-0 at Loftus Road, the home side started brightly and twice threatened during the opening exchanges, Mikele Leigertwood shooting wide from range and Matteo Alberti testing Adriano Basso with a low shot which the keeper went down to gather.

City quickly reasserted themselves and had claims for a penalty turned down by referee Graham Hegley after the ball appeared to brush Jordi Lopez on the upper arm during the melee which ensued following a Lee Johnson corner kick.

When Rangers midfielder Adel Taarabt went to ground a little too easily under challenge from Skuse in the other 18 yard box moments later, the referee issued the first yellow card of the afternoon.

The home crowd came to life on 22 minutes, Hogan Ephraim taking advantage of weak challenges from Bradley Orr and Liam Fontaine to put Taarabt through on goal. But Basso was equal to his angled shot, hurling himself to his left to push the ball behind for a corner.

Although the Loftus Road playing surface was hard and bumpy, it was not entirely to blame for City's poor passing at times, a shortcoming which caused several promising situations to fizzle out.

Ephraim's direct running was causing City some concern and another thrust deep into enemy territory presented Alberti with a clear sight of goal, only for the Italian's shot to be smothered by Basso.

City carved out the clearest chance so far on the half hour, Adebola out-jumping Kaspars Gorkss and directing a header into the path of Nicky Maynard, who was left with only keeper Radek Cerny to beat. But the striker snatched at his shot from 15 yards and sent the ball sailing high and harmlessly into the crowd, who responded in derisive fashion.

Opportunity beckoned for the visitors on the stroke of half-time, Adebola going down under duress from Damien Delaney to earn a free kick in a threatening position on the edge of the 18 yard box. On the scoresheet against Coventry recently, Jamie McAllister's shot lacked accuracy on this occasion and flew some distance wide of the target.

Bristol City emerged for the second half with renewed purpose and almost took the lead in the 49th minute, Adebola ghosting in behind a static home defence and sending his shot from an acute angle flashing across the face of goal.

There followed a lengthy delay while Adebola and strike partner Maynard received treatment following a clash of heads which left the pair sprawled flat out inside the six yard box. Fortunately, both were deemed fit to continue.

City experienced another moment of anxiety when the impressive Lopez surged into space just outside the penalty area and let fly with a rising drive which narrowly cleared Basso's cross bar.

When left-back Matthew Connolly tried his luck from a similar distance moments later, his effort also sailed over the target. Lopez fared rather better from a free kick 20 yards from goal, but his shot lacked the power to trouble Basso unduly.

There was nothing Basso could do when the Spaniard found his range with another free kick on 65 minutes. Jamie McCombe fouled Sam Di Carmine on the edge of the penalty area and Lopez sent his set-piece effort curling into the top left-hand corner of the net to finally breathe life into a contest which had become becalmed.

City required an instant response and McIndoe and Sproule both had shots charged down as the visitors swarmed forward. Johnson then conjured their first on-target effort, Cerny going down on one knee to save comfortably.

Ephraim wasted a heaven-sent opportunity to put the game beyond City's reach on 69 minutes, steering his first-time shot wide of a gaping target after neat approach play from Lopez and Di Carmine had opened up the Robins defence.

City survived that scare and restored parity 13 minutes from time with a moment of rare quality. In space wide on the right, Sproule launched a deep cross over the heads of the entire Rangers defence to McIndoe, whose ferocious volley from 12 yards out made the net bulge in front of where the travelling fans were massed.

But parity lasted less than four minutes, substitute Lee Cook crossing from the left for Taarabt to beat Basso with a well-executed finish from close range.

Queens Park Rangers (4-5-1): Cerny; Ramage, Delaney, Gorkss, Connolly (sub Helguson 61); Alberti (sub Routledge 46), Ephraim, Lopez, Leigertwood, Taarabt; Di Camine (sub Cook 73).

Bristol City (4-3-3): Basso; Orr, McCombe, Fontaine, McAllister; Johnson, Skuse, McIndoe; Sproule, Adebola, Maynard.

Referee: Graham Hegley