Captain Scott Carson had a nightmare afternoon at Loftus Road as Albion nemesis Neil Warnock returned to deliver a jolt to the Baggies’ promotion campaign.

Errors from goalkeeper Carson cost his side two goals as Warnock celebrated his first game in charge of QPR with a win.

The skipper spilled a cross to allow former Albion loanee Jay Simpson to put Rangers ahead on 13 minutes and the visitors’ defence again went missing as Matthew Connolly got a second goal 11 minutes later.

A Chris Brunt header 10 minutes before half-time gave the Baggies hope.

But Carson was beaten by Akos Buzsaky’s 35-yard free-kick midway through the second-half to kill off any hopes of a fightback.

It meant boss Roberto Di Matteo’s gamble of resting star midfielder Graham Dorrans from his starting line-up was not rewarded, as Albion slipped to their second straight away defeat and lost second place to Nottingham Forest.

A miserable afternoon was compounded when striker Simon Cox left on a stretcher in stoppage-time after a mid-air collision with on-loan Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme.

QPR predictably flew from the blocks and former Baggies target Adel Taarabt had already caused some problems down the right when his side went ahead on 13 minutes.

An Albion move broke down in midfield, Taarabt broke down the right and his low cross was fumbled by Carson into the path of Simpson, who finished coolly.

It took just 11 minutes for the second Rangers goal to arrive, as the visitors were caught out of position at the back and the home side cashed in.

A crossfield ball by Alejandro Faurlin found Connolly unmarked in the box who kept his composure to finish past the advancing Carson.

Albion were shell-shocked, but the found their feet gradually and had a couple of chances as half-time approached.

First Ikeme advanced well to dive at James Morrison’s feet after an interception by Brunt.

Then the goalkeeper pulled off a smart diving save to keep out a drive from the edge of the box by former Rangers loanee Ben Watson.

But the shot-stopper could do nothing to stop the Baggies reducing the arrears 10 minutes before the break with an incisive move.

A neat ball by Marek Cech found Cox, who was forced away from goal but managed to tee up Jerome Thomas on the left and his cross was met by a looping far post header from Brunt, leaving Ikeme stranded.

In first-half stoppage time Albion had another chance when Morrison challenged for a ball in the box and it broke for Thomas, but his shot was blocked well by the goal.

The Baggies started the second-half brightly and could have levelled after 10 minutes when Youssouf Mulumbu’s fine ball found Brunt wide on the right, but his cross was fired wide at the near post by Cox.

Albion then had appeals for a penalty turned down when Cox appeared to be dragged over in the box by Kaspars Gorkss.

But Carson went some way to redeeming his first-half error, with a fine save to keep out Damion Stewart’s header from a corner.

Yet the goalkeeper was the villain again moments later, as the Hoops regained their two-goal cushion.

Brunt was penalised for a foul on Taarabt 35 yards from goal as Carson and his defenders failed to deal with Buzsaky’s curling free-kick, which bounced in front of the keeper and looped over him and in off the post.