Andre Gray's winner helped Queens Park Rangers pick up their first victory on the road in six games with a 1-0 win at Cardiff City tonight (Wednesday).
The on loan Watford man, who was making his first start since QPR's 3-2 victory over Preston North End in October, slotted home from Andre Dozell's fantastic pass to end four straight defeats and one draw with victory in Wales.
Manager Mark Warburton made three changes from Friday night's 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest with Jimmy Dunne, Moses Odubajo and Gray all brought in.
Jordy De Wijs and Sam McCallum missed out due to injury while there was also no place in the squad for Chris Willock, who scored the winner the last time the two sides met at the Cardiff City Stadium.
City went close early on with Perry NG's first time effort whistling past the far post before Rubin Colwill stung the gloves of Seny Dieng with a rasping effort from 25-yards-out.
The Hoops then went close when Albert Adomah cross was met by Gray, who could only direct his header just wide of the near post.
Gray did break the deadlock eight minutes before half-time when he picked up Dozzell's superb ball which cut Cardiff's defence to shreds.
The Jamaican international took a touch before firing it into the bottom left hand corner for third goal of the season to spark jubilant celebrations in the away end.
The visitors went close to doubling their lead five minutes after the break after City failed to clear the lines when Lyndon Dykes, who had passed fit to play, took aim and fired inside the box but his effort was beaten away by former QPR shot stopper Smithies.
In the 54th minute goalscorer Gray then went down injured and had to limp off and be replaced by Charlie Austin.
Warburton's side should have made it two after 69 minutes when Smithies, under pressure from Austin, miss-kicked the ball into the path of Dykes but the forward's lob from the edge of the box sailed over.
Moments later Odubajo broke free down the left and found Austin, who knocked it down for Dykes.
The Scottish international looks set to double Rangers' lead , but at the vital moment his effort was blocked superbly by Sean Morrison to keep the score at 1-0.
Yoann Barbet nearly diverted Colwill's low cross into his own net with two minutes to go before Ryan Giles long range effort in stoppage time was easily held as The R's survived City's pressure to move up into fifth place in the Championship table.
Cardiff City (3-4-2-1) XI: Smithies, McGuiness, Morrison (C), Vaulks, (Ralls 79), Moore, Nelson, Pack, Giles, Colwill, Evans, (Harris 63), NG
QPR (3-4-1-2) XI: Dieng, Dickie, Barbet, Johansen (C), Dykes, Chair, (Ball 78), Dozzell, (Amos 83), Gray, (Austin, 54), Dunne, Odubajo, Adomah
Attendance: 16,082
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