TUESDAY'S home game with QPR can't come too soon as Wanderers seek to cure the defensive ills that have cost vital points in recent games, writes BEN Sports Editor Peter Mensforth.

Late goals have seen the side beaten twice and held to a draw within a week leaving them with a return of only one win from their last seven games.

It's threatening to ruin the super start they enjoyed when compiling 20 points from their first eight fixtures and no one knows that better than skipper Gudni Bergsson.

"We have to sort it out quickly," he said after he had enjoyed bitter sweet moments in Saturday's match, scoring the opener before the defence opened up to allow Palace to come back from 3-1 down after 87 minutes to snatch a point.

He added: "We are all aware of the situation but we will get it right, we have to, because we are losing too many points that way. I'm glad the next game is coming up quickly to give us an early chance to put it right."

Manager Sam Allardyce will ask his players to be strong when they go out against QPR.

"After what happened on Saturday we will probably go into the game a little bit tentative, a little nervous probably, but we've got to overcome that. We have to be brave, positive and mentally strong more than anything else and go out and play as we can do."

The manager, although citing poor defending as the cause of Wanderers current woe, refused to lay the blame for the loss of points solely at the feet of the back four.

He was disappointed that the experienced players in that position hadn't done their jobs towards the end but pointed out that the team should defend as a unit.

"It's a group thing. Our strikers have to move forward and put pressure on their defence, while the midfield should defend after that and shut down opponents to protect the back four. If you don't do that you expose the back four too much and they ultimately make a mistake and the opposition scores.

"There's a little lack of confidence and it's important we restore that as quickly as possible. That would have happened on Saturday had we seen the game out."

On the injury front he will be without Simon Charlton who suffered a groin injury as Palace scored their first goal which will probably leave Robbie Elliott to continue at left back with Gareth Farrelly in the middle of midfield.

Dean Holdsworth is still not ready for action although Allardyce expects him to be back in training this week which could possibly put him in the frame to rejoin the squad next week.