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Brighton captain Charlie Oatway, a lifelong QPR fan, was stretchered off in the fourth minute with a broken ankle following a challenge by Marcus Bean.
The hosts also had Dean Hammond, Colin Kazim-Richards and Paul Reid all booked for the fifth time this season, which means they will be suspended for the visit to Southampton on January 2nd.
The only goal of the game arrived in the seventh minute when Butters rose above Rangers skipper Danny Shittu to head in a free-kick from Oatway's replacement Richard Carpenter.
The home side went close on several occasions to add to Butters' second goal in four games. In the 41st minute Alex Frutos had a shot parried by Jake Cole who was making his full debut in the Rangers goal.
After the break Kazim-Richards volleyed wide when well placed and then had an explosive shot pushed away by Cole with ten minutes left.
Substitute Mark McCammon should have made the game safe for Brighton with three minutes left when Hammond put him clean through but he was also denied by Cole.
It was a miserable afternoon for Rangers who are now sliding dangerously close to the relegation zone.
Manager Ian Holloway's number two Tim Breacker was ordered from the dug-out early on by referee Rob Stiles for something he said.
The visitors created little to trouble Brighton goalkeeper Michels Kuipers, making his first appearance for the club for 11 months following a serious shoulder injury.
Kuipers made a diving stop from a free-kick by Richard Langley at the start of the second half. He also saved a long-range effort from Rangers' Lee Cook with 19 minutes left.
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Brighton captain Charlie Oatway, a lifelong QPR fan, was stretchered off in the fourth minute with a broken ankle following a challenge by Marcus Bean.
The hosts also had Dean Hammond, Colin Kazim-Richards and Paul Reid all booked for the fifth time this season, which means they will be suspended for the visit to Southampton on January 2nd.
The only goal of the game arrived in the seventh minute when Butters rose above Rangers skipper Danny Shittu to head in a free-kick from Oatway's replacement Richard Carpenter.
The home side went close on several occasions to add to Butters' second goal in four games. In the 41st minute Alex Frutos had a shot parried by Jake Cole who was making his full debut in the Rangers goal.
After the break Kazim-Richards volleyed wide when well placed and then had an explosive shot pushed away by Cole with ten minutes left.
Substitute Mark McCammon should have made the game safe for Brighton with three minutes left when Hammond put him clean through but he was also denied by Cole.
It was a miserable afternoon for Rangers who are now sliding dangerously close to the relegation zone.
Manager Ian Holloway's number two Tim Breacker was ordered from the dug-out early on by referee Rob Stiles for something he said.
The visitors created little to trouble Brighton goalkeeper Michels Kuipers, making his first appearance for the club for 11 months following a serious shoulder injury.
Kuipers made a diving stop from a free-kick by Richard Langley at the start of the second half. He also saved a long-range effort from Rangers' Lee Cook with 19 minutes left.