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Stoke - Charlie Adam piled the pressure on beleaguered QPR manager Mark Hughes as the Stoke midfielder's first goal for his club clinched a 1-0 win at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.
Adam, who joined from Liverpool in pre-season, bagged the winner early in the second half to give Stoke just their second league victory of the campaign and lift Tony Pulis's side away from the relegation zone.
While Stoke finally have reason for celebration, QPR's miserable season shows no signs of improving after they slumped back to the bottom of the table following their seventh defeat in 11 league matches.
The west London outfit are still waiting for their first league win this season and former Manchester City boss Hughes faces a fight to convince the club's Malaysian owner Tony Fernandes to keep faith with him.
Neither side could find any rhythm in a scrappy first half and QPR's Alejandro Faurlin and Stoke's Peter Crouch both completely missed the target when opportunities fell their way.
Stoke striker Jon Walters headed wide from a Geoff Cameron cross and Crouch then saw his deflected effort flash just wide.
QPR should have taken the lead when David Hoilett squared to Adel Taarabt, but the former Tottenham midfielder chipped wide with the goal at his mercy.
Pulis's team took advantage of that let-off in the 52nd minute when Robert Huth's free-kick was flicked on by Walters, and with QPR's defenders failing to react, Scotland international Adam pounced on the loose ball to fire home.
Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic tipped over a deflected shot from Taarabt as QPR pushed forward in search of an equaliser.
But it was former Real Madrid midfielder Esteban Granero who had QPR's best chance in the closing stages when his fierce shot was pushed away by Begovic.
