Half-time: QPR 0 Leicester City 1

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Jamie Vardy’s goal four minutes before the break put Leicester ahead in the battle of the Championship title-chasers.

Leaders QPR were twice denied by goal-line clearances during a first half in which play was held up by a squirrel on the pitch.

Third-placed Leicester were on the back foot early on and Kasper Schmeichel comfortably saved from Gary O’Neil following Matt Phillips’ low cross before keeping out a stinging drive from Niko Kranjcar.

And after ‘Suarez’, as he was dubbed by the home fans, halted play for a second time, Clint Hill’s header from Phillips’ corner was cleared off the line by Paul Konchesky.

Rangers continued to dominate and went close again just before the half-hour mark.

Schmeichel raced from his line to deny Charlie Austin and, after O’Neil’s attempt to score from the rebound was cleared off the line by Liam Moore, the Foxes keeper pushed away Phillips’ follow-up.

Having weathered the storm, the visitors went ahead with a fine finish from Vardy.

David Nugent beat Clint Hill in the air and Vardy reacted quickly to the flick-on, getting away from Richard Dunne and then firing beyond Rob Green into the bottom corner.

Phillips missed a great chance to equalise, chipping the ball over Schmeichel and the bar after being teed up by Austin.

The teams have had to contend with wet conditions at Loftus Road, where recent signing Yossi Benayoun is among QPR’s substitutes.

QPR (4-2-3-1): Green; Simpson, Dunne, Hill, Assou-Ekotto; Carroll, Barton: Phillips, Kranjcar, O’Neil; Austin.
Subs: Murphy; Traore, Onuoha, Jenas, Henry, Hoilett, Benayoun.

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