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Live Commentary: Leeds United 0-1 Queens Park Rangers - as it happened

Read how Queens Park Rangers went to the top of the Championship with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Leeds United.
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Two unbeaten sides went head-to-head in this afternoon's Championship early kickoff as Leeds United welcomed Queens Park Rangers.

A win would have sent either side top of the table and it was QPR who won by a single goal away from home for the second week running.

Read how it all unfolded at Elland Road in our minute-by-minute updates below.


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Morning all! First up in the second tier of English football today it's Leeds vs. QPR at Elland Road. Both sides are yet to taste defeat so far this season. Will that still be the case come 2pm?

First things first, let's get to the teams...

LEEDS XI: Kenny; Peltier, Pearce, Wootton, Warnock; Murphy, Green, Austin; Hunt, Varney; McCormack

QPR XI: Green; Simpson, Onuoha, Dunne, Hill; Wright-Phillips, Barton, Henry, O'Neil; Johnson, Austin

Visiting QPR remain unchanged from last week's win at Bolton, while Leeds make one change from the win at Ipswich a week ago, with Scott Wootton getting the nod ahead of Tom Lees.

SUBS! And here are the two substitute benches today:

Leeds: Ashdown, Drury, Lees, Tonge, Smith, Diouf, Poleon
QPR: Murphy, Suk-Young, Jenas, Hoilett, Zamora, Faurlin, Shariff

There was some brilliant news for Leeds last night when top scorer Ross McCormack signed a new four-year contract at the club. Middlesbrough have reportedly come in with three bids for the Scot this summer but each one has been turned down.

REFEREE WATCH! The man in charge today is Stuart Attwell.

Click here to see the latest Championship table. Three points for QPR would send them three clear while a win for Leeds will nudge them a point ahead. These two are one of six sides still yet to be beaten.



Leeds are in their all-white colours while QPR don their third strip, which is a black and red stripe jobby. Kickoff moments away!

KICKOFF! Leeds get us underway at a noisy Elland Road.

The first shot of the day comes from Green as he collects McCormack's layoff before firing high and wide with his left foot.

Hill's cross is deflected up into the air and it falls onto the head of Wright-Phillips who can't get enough power on it.

Barton hasn't got the best reception (obviously) and he's just made it worse for himself by getting an outside-of-the-boot pass all wrong and conceding a throw-in.

DISALLOWED GOAL! An even bigger jeer goes up now as Barton is flagged offside after tidily finishing from Gary O'Neil's clever reverse pass. Replays show that the number 17 was JUST ONSIDE though. Bad call.

In the last four or five minutes it's been all QPR. The visitors are very calm on the ball and their plethora of talent at this level it's tough for Leeds to even string multiple passes together.

Wow, that's poor from C Austin. He did really well to escape this man but then overhit a pass for strike partner Johnson by a long way.

McCormack prods the ball back for R Austin and he simply whacks for goal by cutting across the ball. It's well-struck but never troubling Green, who sees it over the bar.

McCormack rolls away from Simpson and, with the ball bouncing up nicely, volleys at goal but he gets right under it and almost clears the stand!

Simpson's cross is just too high for C Austin and Wright-Phillips comes in behind but can't get any purchase on his header so the ball bobbles harmlessly wide.

A long ball over the top is collected by Hunt but he's well defended by Onuoha before chipping up a cross that's easy for Green to claim.

Really, really bad from Henry as he gifts McCormack possession. The number 44 just has Onuoha to beat but it's more excellent defending from the former Man City man as he shows him onto his left foot before blocking the Scot's shot.

It's been much more even in the last 10 minutes or so after QPR had started better. Remember, Rangers should be ahead as Barton was onside when he scored earlier on.

I recommend that you open this commentary in a new tab to follow Man City vs. Hull in the Premier League. It's just kicked off at the Etihad. I'll let you know of any goals.

R Austin gets to a loose ball on the edge of the area first and is pretty obviously wiped out by Barton. It should have been a free kick right in the D but Attwell didn't think it was a foul.

Green comes out to take Warnock's corner and isn't convincing but gets away with it as there's no-one coming in at the back post, like Fraizer Campbell for Cardiff against Man City last week.

Simpson's cross is volleyed high into the air by Johnson. Barton tries to make it hard for Kenny to claim by putting his body in the way but the Leeds keeper does well.

Both sides have just had promising ventures forward but been let down by poor touches and naff crosses. It's been very much like that in the opening half; neat enough but with little cutting edge in the final third.

Urgh, and another stinker. Wright-Phillips does really well to spin off Murphy but then drags his shot wide from 20 yards.



Just the one minute of added time at the end of the first period. Let's get the teams in for a talking-to and then have a much better second 45.

HALF TIME: Leeds 0-0 QPR

Just five goals have been conceded between these two in the opening four games of the season and defence is definitely on top here.

Barton definitely looked level when O'Neil played the controversial character in on goal in the ninth minute and he finished well. Unlucky to be flagged offside.

Apart from that, there's been very little to speak of in this one. Neither keeper has had a single difficult save to make.

Over at the Etihad it sounds like a cracker between City and Hull. Jack Prescott says that it could have been 3-3 after 15 minutes! However, it's still goalless. Join him here.

You have to say that QPR's composed, patient approach is impressive, especially away from home at a tough ground like Elland Road. The R's have had 55% possession and should earn a few more chances after the break.

I think the best bet here is a draw though. It's a result that both sides would be reasonably happy with and I wouldn't be surprised if it ends 0-0 in all honesty. I hope it doesn't, but I definitely could see it happening.

Here come the two sides out of the tunnel. Neither manager has made a half-time change but I don't think it will be long before there's some tinkering from McDermott and Redknapp.

KICKOFF! We're back underway at Elland Road, let's hope the second 45 has more to it than the first!

SAVE! First sight of goal for C Austin as Warnock overhits a backpass to send the striker in on goal down the right. The angle is tight but the former Burnley man still tries to beat Kenny, who stands up to parry the ball away.

HUGE appeals for handball from the Leeds end as McCormack's header down at the back post strikes Henry. It looks like it might have just been chest but he was only a yard or two away anyway.

Murphy is very, very lucky not to be at least yellow-carded for a nasty scythe-down on Austin. Attwell's clearly trying to be lenient but that deserved a booking at the very least.

As expected, it didn't take long for the subs to be readied. It looks like McDermott is going to shake up his front line by bringing on Matt Smith and Dominic Poleon. Expect Hunt and Varney to be the two taken off.

LEEDS SUBS: Indeed it is Hunt and Varney who depart for Smith and Poleon. Smith brings height to the attack while young Poleon is lightning quick.

The double-change was made at a corner and Smith almost makes an instant impact by just missing out on Murphy's corner.

Decent attendance at Elland Road today 23,341 inside, 673 of whom are travelling QPR fans.

Right on the hour mark Poleon and Smith link up just how McDermott would have wanted them to. Smith won the header and flicked it on for Poleon. Onuoha lost his bearings a little and allowed Poleon a couple of shots. The first was blocked before a tame second effort was easily held by Green.

It's not been a great afternoon for Barton and this hostile Leeds crowd are giving him a really hard time. He's just given the ball away needlessly twice in a minute.

QPR SUB: An expected change from Redknapp as he takes off O'Neil, who's done very little, for Hoilett. The bright Canadian winger has missed the last two matches because of injury and his return is a welcome sight for Rangers.

Yuk! The finishing touch from both sides has been horrid and it's more of the same as Wright-Phillips tees up C Austin who lashes a shot miles over.

There's a brief break in play at the moment as Barton and R Austin receive treatment for a clash after the former had taken a shot at goal. Both look as if they'll be fine to carry on.

QPR SUB: A second change from 'Arry sees Ale Faurlin take the place of Henry.

Pressure from QPR. First Hoilett did really well to get to the byline and dig out a cross that Warnock had to put out for a corner. From the resulting set piece the ball was cleared back out to Faurlin who curled in a very dangerous delivery that Austin almost put in.

GOAL! Leeds 0-1 QPR (Hill)

The deadlock is broken at last at Elland Road! It's a messy one, just like the game, as Barton's free kick bobbles around in the six-yard box before popping up for left-back Hill, who guided the ball with his right foot into the roof of the net.

Have Leeds got anything to give in this final 10-and-a-bit minutes? They've been very blunt all afternoon and QPR will be confident of holding out.

LEEDS SUB: McDermott makes his third and final change as El-Hadji Diouf comes on for Green.

CHANCE! Brilliant stuff from Hoilett as he beats his man in the middle of the park before bearing down on the Leeds defence. His initial shot is blocked out to Johnson who picks out Hoilett with a cross and the Canadian flashes a header wide.

QPR have the chance to break but Hoilett plays the ball behind Wright-Phillips and out of play. Five minutes left for the hosts to steal an equaliser.

Great flick-on from Smith for Poleon. The youngster can't get his feet sorted properly though and digs out a naff shot that's easy for Green.

YELLOW! Our first booking of the day goes to Hill for taking out McCormack.

QPR SUB: Redknapp makes his last sub by bringing on Jermaine Jenas for Johnson.

Half-chance for Leeds as Diouf's deep cross is weakly met by Smith, who heads wide. Not long left now, maybe four-five minutes of stoppage time.

And yep, FIVE extra minutes will be played at Elland Road.

CHANCE! Decent opening for the hosts as Peltier is played in on the right of the area. His shot is OK but deflected up and over the bar.

OFF THE BAR! Oh my goodness, what an equaliser that would have been. R Austin collects the ball at least 30 yards out and his shot dips onto the top corner of the crossbar and out. So unlucky!

FULL TIME: Leeds 0-1 QPR

It's a second-consecutive 1-0 victory away from home for Rangers and they go top of the table.

That's now four out of five wins for Harry Redknapp's men, who have equalled their total wins from the dismal Premier League campaign last term.

For Leeds, meanwhile, it's a first loss of the season. The hosts will feel that Rangers didn't really deserve it but they offered very little and if I had to pick a team who were better it would be QPR.

That's all we've got time for here. Our feature 3pm match in the Championship this afternoon is Blackburn vs. Bolton; live coverage of that begins at 2.30pm. See you there.

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A general view of Elland Road, home of Leeds United on January 9, 2013
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Preview: Leeds vs. QPR
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd22155232112148
2Leeds UnitedLeeds22136341152645
3Burnley2212822891944
4Sunderland22127334181643
5Blackburn RoversBlackburn2111462518737
6Middlesbrough22105738281035
7West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom22811326161035
8Watford2110473028234
9Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds229582830-232
10Millwall217772118328
11Swansea CitySwansea227692424027
12Bristol City226972628-227
13Norwich CityNorwich226883734326
14Queens Park RangersQPR2251072328-525
15Luton TownLuton2274112538-1325
16Derby CountyDerby2266102728-124
17Coventry CityCoventry2266102834-624
18Preston North EndPreston2241172229-723
19Stoke CityStoke2257102330-722
20Portsmouth204882535-1020
21Hull City2247112131-1019
22Cardiff CityCardiff2146111934-1518
23Oxford UnitedOxford Utd2146112137-1618
24Plymouth ArgylePlymouth2146112245-2318


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