Tempers flared in the QPR dressing room as Mark Warburton’s side ‘let themselves down’ in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat against Barnsley.

An early Elliot Simões strike was enough to floor the Rs as the Championship resumed, with Warburton’s men suffering a major blow to their play-off ambitions after coming into the contest on a run of six games unbeaten.

The temporary break from football halted that momentum and with the Rs now sitting seven points adrift of the top six, Warburton lamented his side’s display at Loftus Road.

“As a team we let ourselves down today,” he said.

“It’s a heated dressing room and quite rightly because we have dropped three valuable points.

“We had to manage the game better - we were really poor for the first 45 minutes, were 1-0 down and it could have been two.

“We gave them something early – we gave away a really poor, shocking, soft goal and that gave them something to hang onto.

“We weren’t troubled in the second half and we moved the ball quicker. But then at that point you have to take your chances and we didn’t do that.

“We were nervous and hesitant, and didn’t display the energy that we have to display week in, week out.

“If you are slightly below it as a team, as an individual or as a unit you are going to pay the price.”

Simões' goal after just seven minutes proved the hammer blow to Rangers’ hopes of cutting the gap on the current top six, as Warburton’s men now prepare to make the short trip east to take on Charlton on Saturday.

And the Rs face a tough-looking run-in on paper, still due to face Championship high-flyers Fulham and West Bromwich Albion as they bid to resurrect their play-off challenge.

QPR were without three experienced players on Saturday as Geoff Cameron - suspended - Marc Pugh and Grant Hall were absent, with Pugh and Hall recently departing the club after their contracts were about to expire.

Warburton knows those changes have weakened his side but says they can have no excuses going into the final eight games of the season.

“You don’t normally lose players with nine games to go, but that’s where we are right now and you have to adjust,” he said.

“The club wants to keep its best players but also maintain financial discipline in what is a very difficult economic climate.”