QPR end losing run with comeback victory to deepen Leicester’s relegation woes

QPR ended a dismal run of four-successive Championship defeats by claiming a 3-1 comeback victory over Leicester at the King Power Stadium to deepen the Foxes’ relegation worries.

Jordan James put the hosts ahead with a super long-range strike, but Harvey Vale levelled before the break.

While a Ben Nelson own goal and Ronnie Edwards header sealed just a second win in eight matches to ease Rangers’ own concerns of being dragged into a relegation scrap.

The hosts found themselves back in the bottom three after Oxford’s draw with Charlton in their lunchtime kick-off and started with intent, Divine Mukasa heading Luke Thomas’ whipped cross just past the left-hand post inside 30 seconds.

Stephy Mavididi burst past Amadou Mbengue on the left touchline and drove into the box. He then curled a shot past the far post before City hit the front in the 14th minute as QPR’s soft centre was exposed again.

Two simple passes were enough to unlock the visitors’ midfield and James was allowed to run unchallenged from near the halfway line before bending a 25-yard shot past goalkeeper Joe Walsh into the bottom-right corner.

The Foxes went close to doubling their lead on the half-hour. Thomas’ pull-back across the six-yard box narrowly evaded a stretching Jordan Ayew and when the ball broke to Hamza Choudhury, the Foxes skipper sliced wide.

The Hoops started to exert pressure of their own leading up to half-time, sending in a series of dangerous crosses and corners without testing Foxes goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk.

Rangers had gone four matches without scoring, but levelled two minutes before the break with their first attempt on target.

Vale latched on to Edwards’ long ball from deep, shrugged off centre-back Nelson and tapped the ball past the advancing Stolarczyk before tapping into an empty net.

Nelson’s afternoon did not improve five minutes into the second half as he stretched to intercept Vale’s ball into the six-yard box but diverted it past Stolarczyk at his near post.

Leicester almost responded within minutes as Walsh touched Abdul Fatawu’s dinked cross on to the crossbar, but the away side remained a big threat, particularly on the break.

Stolarczyk was at full stretch to push away Paul Smyth’s curling shot, but from the resulting corner, Edwards found himself free in a crowded goalmouth to head in Vale’s inswinging set-piece and make it 3-1 in the 58th minute.

Leicester boss Gary Rowett responded with an attacking triple change on the hour, bringing on Patson Daka, Bobby De Cordova-Reid and Harry Winks.

Rs goalkeeper Walsh had to palm away James’ dipping long-range effort, while home penalty appeals were waved away by referee Dean Whitestone when Jimmy Dunne barged Daka off the ball.

But Rangers saw out the match in relative comfort against increasingly desperate and disjointed opponents to climb to 16th.

For Leicester, a fifth home defeat from their past six – allied to wins for relegation rivals West Brom and Blackburn – leaves them second-bottom of the table and two points from safety.