Cardiff midfielder Jobi McAnuff fired in the only goal of the game to ensure
Lennie Lawrence's side closed the season on a winning note.
McAnuff swept the ball home from the edge of the penalty area midway through
the first period, while the Welsh side squandered further chances to extend
their half-time advantage.
But after an entertaining first half, the game fizzled out after the break
with neither side having anything to play for and both unable to raise the
tempo.
Cardiff, who guaranteed Coca Cola Championship safety with a point at
Gillingham last week, were unchanged.
QPR boss Ian Holloway decided to rest striker Paul Furlong and start with
Jamie Cureton up front alongside Tony Thorpe in the only change to his line-up.
The Londoners have surprised many pundits in their first season back in the
Championship with a mid-table finish following promotion from League One 12
months ago.
But Cardiff were quickly into their stride with Cameron Jerome's left-foot
shot testing visiting goalkeeper Generoso Rossi from close range.
Defender James Collins then headed Neal Ardley's corner narrowly over the
crossbar and Jerome went close again when his near-post shot from another Ardley
corner was blocked by Marcus Bignot.
QPR responded with Cureton heading wide from Bignot's cross, but Cardiff's
early momentum swept them into a 26th-minute lead.
Jerome pulled the ball back from the right byline and McAnuff timed his run
perfectly to steer home a left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area.
McAnuff dragged a right-foot effort wide following Danny Gabbidon's cross soon
after as Cardiff chased a second and Willie Boland was also off-target from the
right side of the area.
Cardiff goalkeeper Neil Alexander maintained his concentration to hold on to
Martin Rowlands' 25-yard shot.
But normal service was resumed when Ardley's goalbound effort was blocked by
Danny Shittu and Jerome saw his 20-yard shot whistle over the crossbar just
before the interval.
Cureton was not too far away with a snap-shot shortly after the restart, but
Cardiff continued to boss possession without creating any openings.
The Londoners began to claw their way back into the contest and Lee Cook was
denied an equaliser just after the hour-mark when Alexander tipped his left-foot
shot from the edge of the area around the post.
Cardiff boss Lawrence sent on fresh legs with Alan Lee and Paul Parry
replacing Peter Thorne and Jerome and Tony Vidmar soon coming on for Darren
Williams.
But the game had long since grown stale with neither team able to carve out a
decent scoring chance in the final half-hour.
Lee fired wide of the target from the edge of the area in time added on, but
Cardiff were happy to settle for McAnuff's first-half strike.
Teams
Cardiff Alexander, Williams (Vidmar 81), Collins, Gabbidon,
Barker, Ardley, Boland, Langley, McAnuff, Thorne (Lee 68),
Jerome (Parry 68).
Subs Not Used: Margetson, Bullock.
Goals: McAnuff 27.
QPR Rossi, Bignot, Shittu, Santos, Padula, Cook, Bircham,
Rowlands, Cureton, Thorpe, Gallen.
Subs Not Used: Day, Edghill, Bean, Matthew Hislop, Miller.
Att: 15,722
Ref: A Marriner (W Midlands).
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