QPR fans were beginning to resemble a dusty old Miss Havisham with nothing to be pleased about and rightfully so.
But the fans filed down South Africa Road in a positive mood on Tuesday night after the win against Bristol City marked their first three points at home since the opening day triumph over Leeds.
Hasselbaink admitted after the match that the poor form at home had been playing on their minds.
"Of course our home record was on the players' minds because we know its not been good enough. But tonight I thought we deserved the win. We had a good first half but the score was 0-0 going into the break which was frustrating. But we kept our heads down and the goal came. The team were brave and got the win we desperately needed at home.
"We have been unfortunate in the last few games but we cannot look back. What's important is what is now in front of us. Saturday is another big game and we need to continue our climb up the table," said the QPR boss.
"It is too early to talk about the play offs right now. We need to take this win and build on it. We need to win as many points as possible going into the end of the year and then we can see where we are in the table and go from there."
Idrissa Sylla popped up with the winner as he continued to be in the right place at the right time – as was also the case in his late header against Fulham in the derby day victory.
"Idrissa is even more settled now and is showing the talent we knew he had. This was an important goal and we hope he can continue to deliver for the team," added the Dutchman.
Next up on Saturday is a visit to Sheffield Wednesday. Can the three points be taken home to make the shorter, darker days that little bit easier?
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.
