ROB Dickie reminded Oxford United of his class as he set Queens Park Rangers on the way to victory over his former club.

The centre back’s screamer opened the scoring midway through the first half at Loftus Road as the Sky Bet Championship side showed their quality in the Carabao Cup second round.

Ilias Chair’s deflected effort just before the break proved the final goal of the contest, but United’s impressive away following did not stop singing all night.

The U’s will be disappointed the rematch of the 1986 Milk Cup final did not produce the same result, but QPR deserved their win.

Karl Robinson rotated his line-up as promised, with United’s XI showing six changes to the side that started Saturday’s defeat at Bolton Wanderers.

The headline team news was Elliott Moore’s return at centre back – his first involvement since Cambridge United on the opening day – and Leon Chambers-Parillon playing at right back, while Nathan Holland was on the left wing.

There was a place for 16-year-old Josh Johnson on the bench, while Dickie and fellow former U’s teammate Jordan Archer started for QPR as the hosts made five changes.

United’s sizeable travelling support made plenty of noise long before kick-off and they upped the volume as the game kicked-off.

The visitors looked to match that with a tenacious first 15 minutes where they gave QPR little time on the ball and Sam Winnall saw his deflected effort strike the top of the crossbar.

Charlie Kelman improvised to chest George Thomas’s cross towards goal moments later and it was not long before the hosts took control.

Simon Eastwood saved from Chris Willock and Chair at his near post after they found space down United’s right, with Chambers-Parillon helpless to track the runners.

Then there was Dickie, who won QPR’s goal of the season for 2020/21. His 26th-minute effort will surely be a contender for this campaign’s award.

The centre back gained possession on the halfway line and was allowed to advance, before planting a shot into Eastwood’s top corner from 25 yards.

Dickie did not celebrate his fourth goal of the season as his teammates mobbed him, but QPR were definitely in the mood.

Eastwood saved after Chair again ran beyond Chambers-Parillon as the hosts took control, while United were guilty of wasting possession on more than one occasion.

Moses Odubajo dragged a shot wide and QPR deserved the slice of luck that brought their second goal five minutes before the break.

The lively Chair took aim on the left edge of the U’s penalty area and his shot took a big deflection of Chambers-Parillon to find the far corner, with Eastwood wrong-footed.

Cameron Brannagan replaced Marcus McGuane at the break, while United’s evening was just about summed up when Nathan Holland pulled up on his way out for the second half.

He walked off sheepishly and Gavin Whyte came on, but the U’s did not lose focus because of the setback.

They started the half positively and Archer had to push Winnall’s fierce effort behind from a counter-attack, with the away fans roaring their team on as they sensed a way back into the tie.

United looked dangerous but again lacked that end product, while QPR could have made it 3-0 on the hour when Kelman’s cross just evaded Thomas and Willock.

Johnson got his second taste of senior football when he replaced Winnall with just over 20 minutes left, which saw Agyei go down the middle and Sykes move out to the right.

The U’s fans screamed for a penalty moments later when Agyei chased a through ball and went down under Archer’s challenge, but the goalkeeper was deemed to have got just enough on the ball.

The United striker should have scored seven minutes from the end, with the offside flag sparing his blushes when he could only turn Mark Sykes’s inviting cross on to the post from close range.

Thomas and Kelman went close late on as the game opened up, but there were no further goals.

Queens Park Rangers (3-4-1-2): Archer, Kakay, Dickie (Gubbins 88), Dunne, Odubajo, Dozzell, Thomas, McCallum (Duke-McKenna 64), Chair (Alfa 75), Willock, Kelman.

Subs: Walsh.

Booked: Chair.

Oxford United (4-3-3): Eastwood, Chambers-Parillon, McNally, Moore, Seddon, Gorrin, Sykes, McGuane (Brannagan 46), Agyei, Winnall (Johnson 69), Holland (Whyte 46).

Unused subs: Stevens, Mousinho, Cooper, Taylor.

Booked: Sykes, Johnson.

Referee: Tom Nield (West Yorkshire).

Attendance: TBC.