NEWCASTLE 1 QPR 0
NEWCASTLE: Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson, Santon, Ryan Taylor (Gosling 81), Guthrie, Cabaye (Ben Arfa 25), Gutierrez, Best (Perch 76), Shola Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Elliot, Abeid, Obertan, Ferguson.
QPR Kenny, Young, Gabbidon, Ferdinand, Hill, Wright-Phillips, Derry, Buzsaky (Macheda 76), Mackie, Helguson (Smith 64), Bothroyd.
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Orr, Hall, Campbell, Ephraim.
Att: 49, 865
Leon Best ruined Mark Hughes' first game as QPR boss with a well taken goal that turned the game.
Rangers had more than enough chances to get something out of the contest after creating a host of chances early in the game which were either squandered or repelled by goalkeeper Tim Krul.
With 18 minutes gone Rangers had rattled the woodwork twice and had another six efforts denied, to Newcastle's one shot from distance.
The change of fortune was an injury to Yohan Cabaye and the introduction of substitute Hatem Ben Arfa.
QPR enjoyed much the better of the opening stages with Krul saving from Heidar Helguson and Akos Buzsaky inside the opening six minutes.
Newcastle were unable to get out of their own half and with wide men Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jamie Mackie forcing a series of errors from full-backs Danny Simpson and Davide Santon, Krul's goal came under repeated threat.
Indeed, Wright-Phillips clipped the crossbar after capitalising on a 16th-minute mistake by Simpson to leave the home fans less than impressed.
However, the flow of the game was to change as the game reached the 20-minute mark, and it did so as Cabaye, whose central midfield partnership with Cheick Tiote has been one of the features of the Magpies' season to date, left the field on a stretcher with what looked like a nasty ankle injury after an uncompromising challenge by Shaun Derry.
Even as Pardew urged Hatem Ben Arfa to hurry up on the sidelines to replace his compatriot, the 10 men responded to finally pin the visitors back.
Ben Arfa, whose stunning strike last weekend revived the Magpies' FA Cup campaign, eventually emerged from the dugout to warm applause, although Krul was sent sprawling across his line when Jay Bothroyd curled a 33rd-minute effort just wide.
But Ryan Taylor forced a fingertip save from Paddy Kenny seconds later as the home side belatedly built up a head of steam.
They made the pressure tell eight minutes before the break in impressive style.
Jonas Gutierrez set off towards the penalty area to feed striker Shola Ameobi, who laid the ball off to Taylor.
The midfielder managed to stab a pass out to Best before the covering tackle arrived and the frontman stepped inside full-back Luke Young before side-footing calmly into the far corner to end a four-month wait for a goal.
Hughes' men left the field at the break having given a decent account of themselves, but with Clint Hill and Bothroyd having joined Derry in referee Chris Foy's notebook as their physical approach took its toll.
But they resumed in promising fashion with Wright-Phillips testing Krul from distance within two minutes after Bothroyd had headed down Hill's long-ball to him.
They could have been back on terms twice within as many minutes with Bothroyd blasting wastefully over from Helguson's knockdown and then forcing a solid save from Krul after being played in by Mackie.
However, Santon might have extended the home side's lead had it not been for a fine 55th-minute block by Young after the full-back had carved his way into the box from the left.
Newcastle were disjointed but they almost wrapped up the points with 17 minutes remaining when Ben Arfa slid the ball into Best's path. However, when he squared towards Ameobi, Hill just managed to get a touch to deny the striker a simple finish.