MX23RW : Monday, December 16 01:11:17| >> :120:12839:12839:
[monks data]
Leicester logo
Premier League
May 24, 2015 at 3pm UK
 
QPR logo

5-1

Vardy (16'), Albrighton (42'), Ulloa (51'), Cambiasso (52'), Kramaric (86')
FT(HT: 2-0)
Austin (57')

Live Commentary: Leicester City 5-1 Queens Park Rangers

Relive Sports Mole's live text coverage of Leicester City's 5-1 thrashing of relegated Queens Park Rangers at the King Power Stadium.
2

Leicester City ended their season on a high by thrashing relegated Queens Park Rangers 5-1 at the King Power Stadium.

Jamie Vardy grabbed his fifth goal of the season in the first half before Marc Albrighton doubled the Foxes' tally on the stroke of half time.

Leonardo Ulloa and Esteban Cambiasso then added further goals after the break to kill off the contest before Charlie Austin headed in a consolation.

QPR would not be able to conjure up a last-ditch revival, however, as substitute Andrej Kramaric struck a fifth for Leicester late on.

Here's how Sports Mole covered the action in the East Midlands.


Sort:
Newest
Oldest
Good afternoon folks and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League clash between Leicester City and Queens Park Rangers at the King Power Stadium.

Well, after a long, hard season full of swings and roundabouts, we're reached the final round of Premier League fixtures.

And could things be any better for Leicester? Let's face it, even the most optimistic Foxes fans could not have possibly thought that their side could stay up when they were bottom of the table and a not insignificant number of points from safety - but they've only gone and done it with a game to spare!

Nigel Pearson's men looked dead and buried back in March when they were seven points adrift of safety and all but certain to be relegated back to the Championship. However, the Foxes had other ideas as they recorded four victories on the spin to lift them above QPR and Burnley to give them hope of staying in the top flight. Vital wins over Newcastle United and Southampton followed to put them on the brink of an amazing run to safety before they finally got over the line at the Stadium of Light.

Similarly, QPR's fate is also assured, but in stark contrast to their opposition today, it's going to be almost a day of mourning for the R's fans, as their relegation has already been confirmed and it'll just be a case of seeing out the final fixture before restarting back down in the second tier.

The club's relegation back to the Championship was confirmed two weeks ago when they were hammered 6-0 by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Chris Ramsey has been able to guide his team to sporadic moments of joy with away wins over Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion, but the nine defeats the club have suffered in his 14 games in charge have doomed them after just one season in the top flight following their playoff triumph at Wembley against Derby County.

Team news now filtering through...

LEICESTER STARTING XI: Schmeichel, Morgan, Vardy, King, Albrighton, Huth, Schlupp, Cambiasso, Ulloa, Mahrez, Wasilewski

QPR STARTING XI: McCarthy, Onuoha, Hill, Dunne, Suk-Young, Phillips, Henry, Barton, Fer, Austin, Grego-Cox

LEICESTER SUBS: Schwarzer, De Laet, Konchesky, Drinkwater, Hammond, Wood, Kramaric

QPR SUBS: Murphy, Doughty, Kpekawa, Furlong, Petrasso, Comley, Hoilett

So the Foxes are unchanged from their goalless draw away at Sunderland last week, the game that secured their Premier League status for another year, and Pearson has opted to pick his strongest side again to ensure that they can end the season on a high, possibly as high as 14th place. Unbelievable given how down and out they were just a few weeks ago, but this is why football is the greatest game in the world!

Meanwhile Chris Ramsey has made three changes to his side - academy product Reece Grego-Cox makes his first senior start for the R's in place of Junior Hoilett, while goalkeeper Robert Green drops out of the side in place of Alex McCarthy and Suk-Young Yoon comes in for Steven Caulker. Green and Caulker sustained a concussion and a broken hand respectively in their win over Newcastle United last week.

You have to feel sorry for QPR fans though - of all the fixtures they could have contemplated as a final-day trip, it just so happens that they have to travel to a side who survived relegation with a game to spare and whose fans are in a partying mood. But that's the flipside of football - you have to take the rough with the smooth.

Pearson, the maverick manager who masterminded the Foxes' majestic mission, has told reporters ahead of the game: "It's important we finish on a winning note. It'll be difficult against a side looking to rebuild, but 41 points would be a good achievement."

Once again, just let that sink in - entering April, Leicester were seven points from safety. Later today, they could be seven CLEAR. One of the best Great Escapes of all time - even better than Notts County's efforts last season!

The Foxes' defensive record has been one of the main reasons for their remarkable escape from the bottom three. Pearson's side have kept five clean sheets in their last nine games, doubling their tally from the first 29 matches of the campaign.

Goals have also flowed from their attacking players in recent weeks, with Jamie Vardy's good form rewarded with a call-up to the England squad. Meanwhile, Leonard Ulloa, Riyad Mahrez and Andy King have also netted crucial strikes.

QPR's main problem this season has been their defensive record as the club have shipped the most goals in the Premier League, conceding 68 in their 37 matches. The statistic will be infuriating to the club's owners considering their investment in marquee defenders like Rio Ferdinand and Caulker last summer.

However, Ramsey's charges can still end the season on a high note following their victory over Newcastle United last week, meaning that they can avoid finishing bottom of the league with a win at the King Power Stadium in a potential last hurrah for Charlie Austin wearing a Hoops shirt.



As if the afternoon couldn't get better for Leicester fans, the club owners have effectively bought the first round of drinks for them all today - supporters will be given a voucher to claim either a beer or a bottle of water at the KP.

(And to rub salt into the QPR fans' wounds, the offer is for Foxes fans only...)

Two players in particular are likely to have an extra spring in their step this weekend - Leicester's Jamie Vardy and QPR's Charlie Austin have both been named in Roy Hodgson's latest England squad for the games against the Republic of Ireland and Slovenia next month.

Pretty remarkable given that Vardy was playing non-league football with Fleetwood Town as recently as the 2012-13 campaign. Similarly amazing, Austin has scored 17 goals in his first Premier League season just six years after playing for Poole Town in the Wessex League Premier.

SPORTS MOLE SOFA TIME! Our very own Ant and Dec, Dre and Snoop, Cannon and Ball, Jedward, Barry and Paul Chuckle, (insert other famous duo here)... Matt and Pascal (Mattscal?) discuss all the discussable stuff ahead of today's game on (arguably) the most famous seat since the Iron Throne... the Sports Mole Sofa!


Just under quarter of an hour to go before the season's curtain closer... wonder what tunes they'll be playing/singing at the KP post-match? I would opt for Panic At The Disco's "I constantly thank God for Esteban"...

HEAD TO HEAD: Now this is where there is some solace for QPR and fans - they recorded a 3-2 victory over the Foxes earlier in the campaign as a second-half strike from Austin edged them to victory. And over the course of history, QPR hold a slight edge as they have won 26 of the contests against Leicester, who have won 22, while 10 of the matches have ended in draws.

In addition, QPR have never lost to Leicester City in the Premier League, winning two and drawing one. So can Ramsey's lads end their season with something to send their fans smiling back down the M1? History seems to suggest so, but of course this is football.

PREDICTION: With nothing to play for, it's probably going to be a more relaxed game, almost like a friendly. I reckon 2-2.

Hah, fair play...



And the KP is absolutely buzzing here. A cacophony of noise, trumpets, cheers, the works! Stay tuned to Sports Mole - kickoff is coming up!

The players are out on the pitch and the Leicester players have their kids in tow. Nice touch that - and the home fans are absolutely loving it. Fair play to them - they deserve it for what they've achieved!

KICKOFF! We are underway here at the KP! Leicester in their new all-blue kits, QPR in white and black.

CHANCE! Vardy charges down the wing and lofts a ball over the top, Ulloa gets a good touch and curls just wide of the QPR post! The visiting defenders have their shoulders slumped already - this could be a long afternoon for them.

An inflatable T-Rex has just flown from the stands and landed pitchside. It's one of those days!

Decent knock-on from Albrighton for Vardy to chase, but McCarthy is quick off his line to gather just in front of the striker.

CHANCE! Schlupp picks up Albrighton's cross at the far post and lashes the ball into the side netting.

FINAL DAY UPDATE: There have already been goals for Arsenal and Burnley who have taken early leads against West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa respectively.

Mahrez puts a delivery into the box from a central position - the ball goes loose but despite shouts of handball, QPR get it away.

Mahrez slips over and stays down, he seems to have picked up a leg injury in doing so. Austin sportingly puts the ball out of play in order for the Leicester player to receive some treatment.

Mahrez has been a key man for Leicester this campaign with 25 league starts and four goals - and he gets up to his feet. Relief for the Foxes staff and fans.

Austin wins QPR a free-kick in a decent area out wide but Barton puts a bit too much on it and it flies just over the bar.

GOAL! LEICESTER 1-0 QPR (JAMIE VARDY)

An already electrifying afternoon has just been given an extra jolt as prospective England international Vardy edges his side in front! In all honesty it's a bit of a howler from QPR goalkeeper McCarthy as he spills a tame-looking shot from Mahrez and Vardy is there to smash the ball into the net. But the Foxes fans won't care - they're in the lead!

FINAL DAY UPDATE: The final round of fixtures often brings a game where one team is completely trounced - and this year it looks like West Brom are going that way as Arsenal now lead the Baggies 3-0 after just 17 minutes played.

Vardy looked straight at the linesman after knocking the ball home, as if fearful it would be ruled out, but it was indeed onside. The noise is deafening inside the stadium as the home fans turn it up another notch.

Austin is tripped on the edge of the box, prompting the ref to give QPR a free kick. A possible chance for an equaliser? As it turns out, no. Barton puts the free kick into the wall and he will be disappointed with that one.

FINAL DAY UPDATE: Stoke City are cruising 2-0 against Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur lead Everton 1-0, and Sunderland lead Chelsea 1-0.

QPR seem to be working their way back into the game, albeit falling short of causing any real trouble. Onuoha tries his luck from range and hits the stands behind the goal, and moments later Austin shows some good movement up front to latch onto a neat pass, but Wasilewski is on hand to stop him getting a sniff at goal.

Great pass from Schlupp to Vardy but the ball does not quite run for Leicester that time. Austin then gets his first shot of the day at the other end but Huth is able to block.

CHANCE! Albrighton nutmegs Fer and sends in a brilliant cross from the right which reaches Ulloa, but the striker cannot keep his volley down.

CHANCE! Almost a second for Vardy as Albrighton lashes a cross towards the far post where the striker outjumps Onuoha, but he can't beat McCarthy.

FINAL DAY UPDATE: It's all going wrong for Liverpool as Stoke now lead 3-0 at the Britannia Stadium, while Arsenal are 4-0 up against West Brom and Manchester City lead Southampton 1-0.

CHANCES! QPR enjoying a good spell as Austin's curling effort deflects behind off Huth for a corner. Hill meets the set-piece but his header hits teammate Fer and is then booted clear. Moments later Matty Phillips sends a brilliantly struck shot inches wide of the post from distance.

GOAL! LEICESTER 2-0 QPR (MARC ALBRIGHTON)

The visitors were starting to gain a foothold in this contest, but surely it's now all but over as the Foxes double their lead not long before the break! Albrighton smashes an effort into the top corner from 12 yards, just his second goal for the club, but following his performance so far this afternoon he will have enjoyed that, as will his manager and fans!

Poor from QPR though - the visitors failed to clear their lines, and Albrighton was allowed to run unchallenged into the box and hammer the ball in. They definitely look like a Championship side at the moment.

HALF TIME: LEICESTER 2-0 QPR

Just one additional minute to play and the referee duly blows his whistle. Leicester are playing with no pressure and are truly enjoying their afternoon, while hapless QPR are not in a good place and look as if they wish they could fast-forward into the future by an hour.

The Foxes are leading the R's 2-0 at the break through goals from Jamie Vardy and Marc Albrighton. In between those two strikes it looked like the visitors could potentially conjure up something, but as it was they're now on the verge of a final-day defeat. They could have conceded a third in injury time, in fact, as Ulloa curled just wide of the post. 45 minutes left in the top flight from them and Ramsey needs to show why the club have offered him a new contract by getting his side to redeem themselves in the second half before their Premier League sojourn comes to a bitter end.

Things are all going to plan for Leicester so far. They look good value for their two-goal lead and are on course to break the 40-point tally for the first time in the Premier League since the 2000-01 season. Meanwhile the beleaguered R's have struggled to pose much of a threat and they are on course to finish bottom of the table.

FINAL DAY UPDATE: As final days go, this afternoon is a pretty tame affair - two relegation slots already filled, champions already declared and so on - but there are still plenty of things going on.

The most remarkable half-time score is Stoke 5-0 Liverpool. Steven Gerrard has never lost a Premier League game by more than four goals, but he could fall at the final hurdle. Meanwhile Stoke are the first team to score five goals against Liverpool in a league game since Coventry in December 1992.

As it stands, Tottenham are finishing fifth and going into the group stage of the Europa League, Southampton are missing out on Europe, and Hull City are going down.

Celebrations on the pitch to match those in the KP stands...

Jamie Vardy of Leicester City celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Queens Park Rangers at The King Power Stadium on May 24, 2015© Getty Images


KICKOFF: We're back underway here in the East Midlands.

SUBSTITUTION: One change made so far and it's for the hosts as Marcin Wasilewski, whose Foxes contract expires in the summer, is replaced by Ritchie de Laet.

Austin tries his luck with a rasping shot from about 30 yards out - he gets plenty of power behind the ball but ultimately it soars straight to Schmeichel.

CHANCE! A great chance for the visitors as young Grego-Cox gets the ball after Phillips's deflected effort fell kindly for him, but he fired his volley agonisingly wide of the goal. What a chance that was!

GOAL! LEICESTER 3-0 QPR (LEONARDO ULLOA)

Leicester are cantering to victory here! Morgan has a shot after Albrighton whips a cross into the box, and Ulloa shows great reactions to chest it beyond McCarthy! It's just not QPR's day, is it?!

GOAL! LEICESTER 4-0 QPR (ESTEBAN CAMBIASSO)

Oh dear. If QPR were a house pet they would require euthanising at this stage. Leicester are running rampant as the evergreen Cambiasso scores a second Foxes goal in two minutes! The Argentine drills in a low shot from 12 yards and sends the KP into pure, unadulterated delirium!

GOAL! LEICESTER 4-1 QPR (CHARLIE AUSTIN)

So there seems to be a little bit of life in QPR just yet, my bad! It's another prospective England international who gets a goal here at the KP as Barton's chip into the area falls to Austin, who rises highest to guide the ball beyond Schmeichel for his 18th goal of the season!

CHANCE! Almost aggrieved to have forsaken their clean sheet, Leicester come right back at their opponents as Schlupp beats his man but smashes a shot into the side netting from a tight angle.

King looks to get in on the action after a ball from Cambiasso, but pulls his shot wide. In the stands, a banner saying 'The Greatest Escape Ever' has been unfurled, and Mexican waves are doing the rounds.

CHANCE! Mahrez is showing off some lovely pieces of skill out there on the pitch. He finishes by picking out Cambiasso with a pinpoint cross, but this time the veteran midfielder volleys wide.

SUBSTITUTION: A second change for Leicester sees Vardy replaced by Andrej Kramaric. The outgoing striker is given a rousing standing ovation.

FINAL DAY UPDATE: Moussa Sissoko has given Newcastle the lead against West Ham, while Hull remain goalless at home to Manchester United. Unless the Tigers score and the Magpies collapse, it'll be Steve Bruce's boys joining QPR and Burnley in the second tier next season.

Great work from Kramaric in the channels to keep the Foxes pressure up and win a corner. It's a great chance for the Croatian to make an impression and he will be eager for a second Premier League goal.

CHANCE! Leicester are not resting on their laurels as they continue to push for more goals and get the crowd going again as they seem to have gone a bit quiet. Morgan sees his header blocked by Onuoha, before Huth nods wide of the target.

CHANCE! It's almost a second goal for Cambiasso as he flicks on Albrighton's cross with his back to goal, but the ball floats just wide of the post.

Cue Leicester fans reading this match commentary to cheer loudly in 3... 2... 1...

Esteban Cambiasso of Leicester City celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Queens Park Rangers at The King Power Stadium on May 24, 2015 © Getty Images


CHANCES! Mahrez is one of the best of a good bunch for Leicester this afternoon as he weaves past two QPR defenders, but he lashes his cross-cum-shot just over Schlupp's head. At the other end, Barton's corner lands perfectly on the head of Onuoha, who nods wide with the goal at his mercy.

SUBSTITUTION: Cambiasso leaves to rapturous applause after another fine display and Danny Drinkwater comes on for the final 15 minutes. What an impact he's had, reminds me of when Christophe Dugarry joined Birmingham in 2002 and helped them stay up. Some players can literally pick a club up from the scruff of the neck and elevate them to new heights. Cambiasso has done just that for the Foxes.

Just 10 minutes of the Premier League season left and I'm already getting withdrawal symptoms. You know when it's the final day of your holiday and, as much as you should make the most of it, you end up getting anxious at the thought of having to go away? It's kind of like that here. But of course, there's plenty of football and other sports going on during the summer - and Sports Mole will be on hand to bring you extensive coverage of the summer's biggest events, from the Copa America to Wimbledon!

SUBSTITUTION: QPR are now making a change of their own and Henry is going off after a quiet afternoon. Replacing him is 19-year-old Brandon Comley for his debut.

SUBSTITUTION: QPR bring another youngster into the fray, as Yun goes off and Cole Kpekwa makes his Premier League debut.

GOAL! LEICESTER 5-1 QPR (ANDREJ KRAMARIC)

Well, that's that then! There will be partying on the streets of Leicester tonight as they end their season on a stratospheric high. Kramaric fires in from inside the penalty area after QPR make yet another defensive error, failing to deal with a routine long kick from Schmeichel.

FULL TIME: LEICESTER 5-1 QPR

The referee doesn't see fit to have any added time, blowing the whistle to cap off an amazing season for Leicester and put QPR out of their misery.

It was a sterling display from the Foxes who, clearly buoyed by the pressure lifted off their chests and a jubilant crowd, scored five goals at the King Power. Five different scorers, as Jamie Vardy, Marc Albrighton, Leonardo Ulloa, Esteban Cambiasso and Andrej Kramaric ensured that Leicester will be one huge party city tonight.

In stark constrast, you have to feel for Queens Park Rangers fans - not only have they been forced to witness what could have been and endure the home crowd's endless barrage of jubilation and celebration, but they ended their season on a low with a performance frankly inadequate for this level of football.

Save for Charlie Austin's strike and a few occasional flashes of decent play that, as luck would have it, preceded a Leicester goal, it was a poor day at the office and it will be a funereal trip back down to West London for the R's faithful. The job for Chris Ramsey now is to ensure that a phoenix can rise from the ashes of the current QPR side - I reckon they'll be back in the top flight before long.

FINAL FINAL DAY UPDATE: So the key things that you have to take heed of following the season's finale - Tottenham Hotspur finish fifth and will go straight into the Europa League group stage, Liverpool finish sixth, Southampton miss out on Europe altogether, while Hull City join QPR and Burnley into the Championship next season following Newcastle United's win against West Ham United and the Tigers' goalless draw against Manchester United.

Well folks, that's it - the Premier League season has come to an end, but don't feel too bad - Sports Mole will be bringing you all the match reports, reaction, match analysis and player ratings from each of today's games, and there's plenty more going on throughout the summer - and we'll be keeping you up to date with it all! Goodbye for now!

ID:224622: cacheID:224622:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:41914:
Written by
Giuseppe Labellarte
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson on May 9, 2015
Read Next:
Preview: Leicester City vs. Queens Park Rangers
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool15113131131836
2Chelsea16104237191834
3Arsenal1686229151430
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest168442119228
5Manchester CityMan City168352823527
6Aston Villa167452425-125
7Bournemouth157352320324
8Fulham166642422224
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton166642625124
10Tottenham HotspurSpurs1672736191723
11Brentford167273230223
12Newcastle UnitedNewcastle166552321223
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd166462119222
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham155372028-818
15Crystal Palace163761721-416
16Everton153661421-715
17Leicester CityLeicester163582134-1314
18Ipswich TownIpswich162681628-1212
19Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1623112440-169
20Southampton1612131136-255


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!