QPR's struggles went from bad to worse at the Ricoh Arena as Gary Deegan's first goal for Coventry inflicted a third defeat in a week on the out-of-sorts London club.

Rangers' fans turned on owner Flavio Briatore on Tuesday night as their troubled season hit a new low courtesy of a desperately disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich.

And the 500 or so visiting fans who made the trip to the West Midlands saw their side slump to a fifth successive loss which leaves them in a relegation battle having won one of their past 14 Coca-Cola Championship matches.

The defeat was a difficult one to swallow, though, with Rangers having dominated the majority of an easily forgotten encounter but without really producing the goods in the final third.

In a game of few clear-cut chances, January signing Deegan registered the only goal early on with a well-taken strike into the bottom corner that left Carl Ikeme rooted to the spot.

Sky Blues boss Chris Coleman admitted before the clash that "it was all about the three points" and the victory, albeit via an ugly affair, takes his side up to 10th in the table.

The visitors enjoyed a flurry of corners inside the opening five minutes and edged of the opening stages but, despite their bright start, were dealt a sucker punch with just 10 minutes on the clock.

A hopeful ball hit the back of Clinton Morrison and Deegan, at the first time of asking, struck the ball home from the edge of the area.

Akos Buzsaky curled a free-kick narrowly wide of the target as Rangers looked for a route back into the game, before Deegan saw another goalbound effort blocked by Kaspars Gorkss for a Sky Blues side who remained second best.

QPR continued to be the dominant force as the half wore on but Coventry edged the only stat that mattered going into the interval, with endeavour overshadowing quality.

Rangers again looked lively at the start of the second half but, with Keiren Westwood having hardly had a save to make in 55 minutes, visiting boss Mick Harford introduced Antonio German in place of Tamas Priskin in attack.

Lee Cook tested the Republic of Ireland keeper with a routine free-kick but the Loftus Road outfit were really lacking the quality required where it mattered to test the Sky Blues.

Coventry themselves were struggling to provide a threat at the other end and Ikeme was somewhat of a spectator in the visiting goal.

Adel Taarabt was introduced for QPR while Coleman handed new signing Freddie Sears his debut in a bid to increase the level of goalmouth action.

Westwood, subject of a January bid from Tottenham, was finally called upon to produce a superb diving parry to push Gorkss' shot for a corner.

Cook flashed a shot across the face of goal as QPR came within inches of a late leveller before Freddy Eastwood found the side netting as the game became stretched.

Teams:

Coventry (1) 1 QPR (0) 0

Coventry Westwood, Wright, Barnett, Wood, Cranie, Baker,Deegan, Clingan, McIndoe, Eastwood, Morrison (Sears 67).

Subs Not Used: Konstantopoulos, Hussey, Walker, Grandison,

Jeffers.

Booked: Wright.

Goals: Deegan 10.

QPR Ikeme, Ramage, Stewart, Gorkss, Hill,Buzsaky (Taarabt 67), Connolly, Faurlin, Cook, Simpson,Priskin (German 55).

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Vine, Quashie, Balanta, Borrowdale.

Booked: Connolly, Faurlin, Gorkss.

Att: 15,247

Ref: David Foster (Tyne & Wear).