Stoke City all but consigned QPR to Premier League relegation after battling to a hard-earned 2-0 win at Loftus Road on Saturday.
Goals from Peter Crouch and Jonathan Walters proved the difference in an uninspiring encounter between the relegation-threatened sides.
The result leaves QPR 10 points from safety with only four matches remaining, while Stoke climb to 15th place in the table and six points clear of the drop zone.
A breathless start to the game saw both sides attack with intent yet it was the recalled pair of Cameron Jerome and Crouch who were the protagonists.
Jerome squandered the two best opportunities in the opening stages, passing up the chance to shoot when put through by Crouch before connecting badly with Ryan Shotton's cross from the right.
Crouch then drew a fine save from Robert Green after he chested down and volleyed from distance with the outside of his right boot, while Loic Remy drew a pair of routine stops from Asmir Begovic at the other end.
As the first half looked to be coming to a goalless end, Stoke seized the initiative as Crouch tucked under Green from close range, after the industry of Marc Wilson and pace of Jerome had exposed the home side down the left.
Remy continued to be QPR's side's most potent, and only, attacking threat, and wriggled into space to force a smart reactionary stop from Begovic, while Charlie Adam fired high and wide at the other end as the game became progressively more scrappy and shy of incident.
As QPR chased an equaliser, Stoke doubled their lead as Walters tucked home at the second time of asking from the penalty spot after Crouch was hauled down chasing a rebound off the post from Robert Huth's header.
From there the game petered out with little incident as Stoke put an end to their abject run of form to effectively force the final nail into the coffin of QPR's Premier League status.
