QPR winger Matt Phillips created the first chance of the half as he teed up the onrushing Gary O'Neill, but the midfielder didn't connect with his shot properly.

Niko Kranjcar was the next player to test Kasper Schmeichel with a rasping 25-yard drive which the goalkeeper did well to push away.

QPR were then unfortunate not to take the lead on the half-hour when Charlie Austin was denied by a sprawling Schemichel save, before Kranjcar saw his rebound cleared off the line by Wes Morgan. Schmeichel then recovered quickly to tip Phillips's shot around the post.

Gary O'Neil of Queens Park Rangers battles for the ball with Ritchie De Laet of Leicester City during the Sky Bet Championship match on December 21, 2013 © Getty Images

From the resulting corner, Clint Hill saw his powerful, downward header go just wide.

Four minutes before the break though, the visitors took the lead against the run of play. Vardy collected a David Nugent flick-on and kept his composure to slot the ball home.

Phillips should have equalised for QPR in first-half injury time, but he lifted his shot over the bar from close range.

Leicester almost doubled their lead 60 seconds after the break, but an unmarked Lloyd Dyer failed to beat Robert Green from 12 yards.

Joey Barton's shot deflected just wide via the head of Wes Morgan as the home side struggled to break down the opposition.

Matthew James almost sealed victory for Leicester in the 76th minute, but Green did well to tip the midfielder's 25-yard effort onto the bar after it had taken a deflection off Richard Dunne.

Barton was sent off for two bookable offences in the space of a minute as frustrations boiled over for the home team, who were denied once more in the final few minutes as Schmeichel pushed Austin's effort away.