Bolton swept away the memories of their midweek Worthington Cup semi-final defeat by grabbing all three points with a confident display against injury-hit QPR at Loftus Road.

Rangers, protecting an unbeaten home league record, barely threatened before Bolton's goal spurred them into life - and then they wasted their chances to grab at least a point.

Wanderers dominated the first half and should have been in front only for striker Eidur Gudjohnsen to waste two glorious chances.

On the half hour he collected Dean Holden's pass and turned his marker superbly before screwing his shot wide of the post. Then five minutes later he cut in from the left and beat two defenders - only to blaze the ball over from just six yards.

Rangers barely got a look in in the first half but just before the whistle they carved out a super chance when Rob Steiner nodded on to Paul Bruce and his shot deflected off Bolton skipper Gudni Bergsson and crashed against the post.

Wanderers midfielder Claus Jensen squandered two good chances in the first half but on 64 minutes he made up for by giving his side a deserved lead.

Steiner lost the ball to Jensen on halfway and he sprinted forward, beat a defender and calmly slotted the ball past Lee Harper.

The goal brought Rangers to life and they could have levelled within a minute when Ian Baraclough's cross from the left fell to Chris Kiwomya - but he hesitated too long before shooting and had to cross to the far post where the ball was chested away by Bergsson for a corner.

Paul Murray swung in the kick and the ball arrived at the feet of top scorer Stuart Wardley, who thumped it over the bar.

Worse was to come for Wardley on 69 minutes. Sub Sammy Koejoe crossed to the far post but Wardley - unmarked five yards out - blazed his effort over the bar.

In the last five minutes the same player looked to have scored when he met a corner with a thumping header which was superbly saved by Steve Banks while a minute later Chris Plummer got on the end of another cross - but put his effort just over the bar.

Teams:

QPR: Harper, Darlington, Ward, Plummer, Baraclough, Bruce (Koejoe 68), Wardley, Kulcsar (McGovern 68), Murray,Steiner, Kiwomya.

Subs Not Used: Miklosko, Rowland, Scully.

Bolton: Banks, O'Kane, Holden, Bergsson, Whitlow, Phillips, Johansen, Jensen, Passi, Holdsworth (Taylor 88),Gudjohnsen (Holloway 84).

Subs Not Used: Jaaskelainen, Hansen, Aljofree.

Booked: Holden.

Goals: Jensen 64.

Att: 11,396

Ref: R Olivier (Sutton Coldfield).