Queens Park Rangers beat Leeds United at Loftus Road this afternoon thanks to a devastating second-half cameo from striker Charlie Austin.
The forward, who had been left on the bench after struggling through a late fitness test on a calf injury, turned the game, netting the crucial goal with his first touch after coming on for Michael Petrasso.
Chris Wood spurned the visitors' best chance of the opening half as he fired over from a tight angle under heavy pressure from Hoops goalkeeper Robert Green.
At the other end, Grant Hall could easily have put his side ahead before the break when he met Alejandro Faurlin's corner, but his header flew inches over the top.
Nedum Onuoha's spectacular strike from 30 yards almost put Neil Warnock's side ahead on the stroke of half time, before they felt they should have had a penalty when Junior Hoilett took a tumble in the box just after the restart.
When the hosts finally made the breakthrough, it came from a familiar source as second-half substitute Austin arrived just in time to head home Faurlin's corner.
Leeds had ignored the warning signs Queens Park Rangers' talismanic striker posed as just seconds earlier he had been inches away from bundling another Faurlin set piece home.
Somehow they failed to deal with Austin's presence again as he rose unchallenged to meet a Matt Phillips free kick just after the hour mark.
Marco Silvestri then somehow clawed away an Austin header, before Faurlin and Phillips gave him more to do with efforts from range.
It was Austin who had done the damage though, as Warnock's side saw out the match to record their first win in five Championship games.
Joe Sharratt
