Veteran midfielder Jack Colback climbed off the bench to fire QPR to a 2-1 victory over Blackburn.
The 35-year-old thumped home his first goal in just over a year as Rangers got back to winning ways after two straight defeats.
Michael Frey had put Rangers ahead after only five minutes, but Rovers thought they had secured a point through Tyrhys Dolan’s second-half penalty.
However, Colback’s thunderbolt put a dent in Blackburn’s play-off bid, although they remain fifth, while Rangers are now only three points adrift of the top six.
The hosts took the lead when Kenneth Paal won a free-kick in the corner.
Ilias Chair swung in the cross which Frey met with a glancing header past visiting ‘keeper Aynsley Pears for his seventh goal of the season.
Rovers almost equalised four minutes later when Ryan Hedges and Andreas Weimann combined to tee up Owen Beck, who crashed his shot against the crossbar.
Makhtar Gueye retrieved the loose ball and crossed low for Dolan, whose drive was clawed out of the top corner by Rangers ‘keeper Paul Nardi.
Chair had two chances to double the lead before half-time, first sitting Danny Batth on his backside before drilling in a low shot which skidded inches wide, and then forcing another block from Pears.
Instead, the visitors were gifted an equaliser six minutes into the second half.
Rangers failed to clear a low ball into the area and Koki Saito’s clumsy challenge on Callum Brittain gave ref James Linington little choice but to award a penalty.
With no designated penalty taker on the pitch for Rovers, there was some discussion as to who should take it, but Dolan eventually won the argument and confidently converted.
Rangers thought they should have had a penalty when captain Jimmy Dunne – back in the side after a deadline-day move to Sheffield United fell through – was hauled down by Batth, but Linington did not agree.
However, Rangers won it with 14 minutes remaining when the ball dropped to Colback after a chaotic scramble in the penalty area.
The former Sunderland and Newcastle midfielder pulled the trigger from 18 yards and, although Pears got both hands on it, the ball rocketed into the roof of the net to secure three points for the Hoops.
The managers
QPR’s Marti Cifuentes:
“I’m very pleased, not only about the win but because it was important to come back after two defeats in a row. It was important for us emotionally to come back and get a good win at home against a good team. I’m very pleased for Jack and the minutes he played, and the level he played, as well as the goal.”
Blackburn’s John Eustace:
“I’m very disappointed we lost the game. It was a tough game, we got ourselves back into it, so to lose with another soft goal is really disappointing. We weren’t good enough at the start. In the second half, we started really well, we got back into the game and I thought we could have gone on and won it.
“The manner of the second goal is very disappointing. We have to react to the second phase and we could have saved it as well. We have to put bodies on the line to keep the ball out of the net.”
