Leicester City 0 QPR 2
Jamie Mackie took his week's tally to four and his total for the season to eight in seven games with both goals, as QPR maintained their superb start to the season, their best ever, at the Walkers Stadium. The home side dominated the ball but could find no way through, and Neil Warnock's side now sit five points clear of Ipswich at the top of the Championship.
It took just 12 minutes for the visitors to open the scoring, and it was a goal of the highest quality. Shaun Derry delivered a raking ball out to the right to find Adel Taarabt. The Moroccan forward picked out Mackie with a pinpoint cross, and the former Plymouth forward steered his header into the top corner.
But the leaders did not have it all their own way, and Leicester dominated after the goal. Martyn Waghorn and Lloyd Dyer offered quicksilver threat on the wings, while Richie Wellens provided the drive from the centre of midfield. Wellens twice had sight of goal, first zipping an angled drive over Paddy Kenny's crossbar, then inexplicably failing to pull the trigger when free on the edge of the area. But for all City's pressure – and the Rangers defending at times was necessarily desperate – Kenny made only one save of note, blocking with his legs from a combination of Wellens and Waghorn.
The Foxes had roared back from the same half-time scoreline against Cardiff in midweek, ending the Bluebirds' unbeaten start in the process. That result, Leicester's first win of the season, was sparked by an equaliser six minutes after the break, but there was no instant response on this occasion. Still, Leicester monopolised the ball, but without incisiveness, although Kenny made a fine save from Fryatt just after the hour, and the home side claimed a penalty after the substitute Steve Howard appeared to be caught with an elbow in the area.
That was the cue for a fractious final quarter, smattered with bookings and further City pressure, but four minutes from time Mackie put the seal on the victory. He should not have been able to collect Mikele Leigertwood's through ball, and skipped past Michael Morrison far too easily, but his calm, close-range finish was that of a man at the peak of his game. Rangers survived seven minutes' stoppage time to claim their sixth win in seven.
