Boss Jim Magilton hailed Town's two-goal substitute Jon Stead as Ipswich continued their climb up the Championship.

The £750,000 ex-Sheffield United striker delivered the perfect response to being axed following the midweek draw with Charlton.

Stead bagged an impressive late double in the space of just three minutes soon after coming on.

And he was only denied what would have been a fabulous hat-trick by the width of a post.

Magilton said: "Jon was particularly disappointed with his performance the other night and was very hard on himself.

"But he's come off the bench and done the business with two goals. I won't be too harsh on him for missing the other one.

"We're becoming hard to beat - it's just one defeat in 11 league games now - and I'm very proud of my players.

"We were outstanding to a man and Richard Wright's early save could also have been a match-winner."

Thanks to ex-England cap Wright, who dived full length to push away skipper Martin Rowlands' eight-yard header, Rangers have now gone eight hours and 28 minutes without a goal on the road.

Caretaker boss Gareth Ainsworth, holding the fort until chairman Flavio Briatore comes up with a successor to the recently-departed Iain Dowie, cursed Wright's agility.

Ainsworth said: "The big difference in the game was that Ipswich took their chances."

Even before Wright's 17th-minute heroics, Lee Cook came close to netting when his free-kick from a tight angle rattled the bar.

Ainsworth, whose team KO'd leaders Birmingham four days earlier, added: "On another day Martin's header goes in and so does the one that hit the bar.

"But there were some tired legs out there.

We played with 10 men in midweek and the lads were still getting their breath back the next day."

Ainsworth could shed no light on the Loftus Road vacancy, adding: "It's just day by day but I'm very proud to be at the helm - win, lose or draw."

Ipswich took until the 25th minute to land their first effort on target but they then forced Rangers to defend frantically, upping the tempo as half-time approached.

Fitz Hall brilliantly blocked from Owen Garvan, Cerny punched off the head of Kevin Lisbie and then the keeper dived to hold a Jon Walters sizzler.

Then Damian Delaney and Damiano Tommasi got in a mix-up as sub Pablo Counago pounced to set up Lisbie - but the ex-Charlton and Colchester striker, shot straight at the keeper.

QPR's defensive stand was finally broken in the 72nd minute when Gareth McAuley won a towering header and Counago flicked on to set up Stead.

The sub's first effort was blocked by Cerny, and Stead, despite being on the deck, managed to nod home.

His second was much more emphatic as he rose unchallenged to power in a 10-yard bullet header from Garvan's corner.

Counago, who missed a midweek penalty, squandered two late chances - but then in stoppage time Stead came within a whisker of a marvellous hat-trick when his free-kick from 35 yards crashed back off a post.

Ipswich: R Wright 7 - Volz 6, Naylor 6, McAuley 7, D Wright 7 - Norris 7, Shumulikoski 6, Garvan 7, Quinn 5 (Counago, 59mins, 6) - Walters 6, Lisbie 4 (*STEAD, 68mins, 8).

Qpr: Cerny 6 - Connolly 5, Hall 6, Stewart 6, Delaney 5 - Buzsaky 5 (Ledesma, 68mins, 4), *ROWLANDS 7, Tommasi 6, Cook 6 - Di Carmine 5 (Blackstock, 57mins, 4), Parejo 5.

Referee: T Kettle 6