Queens Park Rangers secured a vital win in their quest for Premier League survival as they defeated Leicester City 3-2 at Loftus Road this afternoon.
Esteban Cambiasso fired the Foxes ahead in the the fourth minute, but the home side rallied back to take the lead before half time through an own goal from Wes Morgan and a strike from Leroy Fer.
Jeffrey Schlupp brought the visitors level in the second half, but Charlie Austin won the game for the Hoops with a goal in the 73rd minute.
Here, Sports Mole analyses the match to see if Harry Redknapp's men deserved their win.
Match statistics
QPR
Shots: 32
On target: 6
Possession: 59%
Corners: 11
Fouls: 8
LEICESTER
Shots: 19
On target: 5
Possession: 41%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 17
Was the result fair?
QPR proved to be the more clinical side in front of goal as, after falling behind early in the game, they put pressure on the Foxes and were rewarded when Morgan put the ball into his own net, before Fer fired them ahead on the stroke of half time. They continued to threaten Kaspar Schmeichel's goal after the break, and, although they were a tad suspect defensively, they did just enough to beat Nigel Pearson's men for the three points due to their efficiency in the final third.
QPR's performance
Redknapp's men were always a threat during the 90 minutes as they seemed to set their stall out on attacking the Foxes from the first minute of the game. They had 32 shots on goal, which tells you that they had success in their approach, but it did leave them exposed at the back. A better side may have taken advantage of those opportunities more than the visitors did, but Rangers did just enough in the final third themselves to edge out their opponents.
Leicester's performance
The Foxes lacked resilience at the back in the crucial moments of the game. They could have resisted the home side to take the lead into the break or level at the least, but their inexperience showed as they allowed the Hoops to take the initiative. From then on, it was a struggle to re-establish themselves in the game, but they did get back in it through Schlupp's strike, only for their defensive problems to rear their head again when Austin fired the hosts ahead. Leicester were good in the final third this week, which will please Pearson, but their troubles at the back will give him a massive headache, as they just seem incapable of putting in a complete performance at the moment.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Leroy Fer: A difficult decision to make as Austin was impressive for the home side as well, while Jamie Vardy had an excellent game for the visitors. However, the midfielder made incisive runs to disrupt the Leicester backline and scored the pivotal goal to fire his side ahead before the break with a well-taken strike. He could have added a second after the break only to be denied by Schmeichel with an excellent save. He was combative in midfield and was always willing to put in tackles.
Biggest gaffe
Morgan gets the nod for his own goal. He put the ball into his own net as he tried to clear the ball from the six-yard box, with Austin lurking behind him. The defender made a bit of mess with the clearance and he could have probably avoided putting the ball in the net.
Referee performance
A relatively easy game for Roger East. He was saved from making a big decision when Leonardo Ulloa was brought down in the penalty area, as Cambiasso fired the ball into the bottom corner following the tackle. He made correct bookings when he needed to and did not overreact to a late incident in the game involving Marc Albrighton and Robert Green.
What next?
QPR: Redknapp's men travel to the Liberty Stadium to face Swansea City on Tuesday.
Leicester: The Foxes host Liverpool on Tuesday having slipped to the bottom of the table.
Simon Sinclair
