QPR boss Ian Holloway bemoaned the farcical mistake which led to his side’s FA Cup third-round exit at the hands of League One MK Dons.

The Championship team lost 1-0 at Loftus Road, where Ousseynou Cisse scored a 60th-minute winner.

It came after Rangers midfielder Josh Scowen chased a misplaced pass from team-mate Grant Hall and, by nudging the ball away from the right-hand touchline in order to keep it in play, inadvertently sent Cisse through.

Holloway said: “When the ball goes out to someone like that it’s got to go back in, it really has. We had so many bodies back up there.

“To play it square and then to keep it in when it’s going out, I can’t believe it.

“That ball is a package. You give it to one of the QPR lads and tell him where you want it.

“You don’t ever take a package to the post office without putting a message on it where it’s got to go, do you?

“Unfortunately that’s cost us. It should have been 0-0, we’d still be in the cup and this would be a result.

“But we passed their forward clean through and he scored. Am I happy? No.”

Holloway selected virtually his strongest team and they dominated most of the game only to concede against the run of play.

It continued Rangers’ terrible FA Cup record – this was the club’s 49th third-round exit.

“You could tell by the team I picked I wanted to win it,” added Holloway.

“This time people can’t point the finger at me and say ‘He changed too many of the team’.

“But was that the same effort? Was it the same choices? It didn’t look it. In training everything was buzzing.”

MK Dons boss Robbie Neilson praised his players but insisted next Saturday’s league game against AFC Wimbledon is much more important.

There is bad feeling between the two sides, with AFC Wimbledon having been formed in 2002 by supporters in response to their club being moved from south London to Milton Keynes.

“I’m delighted for the players, the fans, the owners and the whole club,” said Neilson.

“Hopefully we can use today’s game and the togetherness to carry us through to next week.

“It was a great result for us and we’re going into the next round but it means nothing because the game next week is even bigger.

“We play AFC Wimbledon next week and it’s the biggest game of the season for us.

“A cup run builds momentum and builds spirit and gives the fans a day out. This is great, I’m delighted to get through and everyone’s happy, but the big one for us is next week.

“We come back on Monday and we gear up for a big, big game.”

Neilson was full of praise for Cisse, whose goal was the Malian’s first in English football.

He added: “He’s a real favourite in the dressing room and a real favourite with the fans because he’s got a big personality and works so hard for the team, so I’m really pleased for him.”