Charlie Austin returned from injury to end QPR's goal drought as they beat Leeds at Loftus Road.

The England striker, considered not fit enough to start, struck two minutes after rising from the bench in the second half to bring Rangers their first goal in 420 minutes.

The hosts, who gave a first start to Michael Petrasso started brightly and Leed's Sunderland loanee Liam Bridcutt was soon in the book for chopping down Junior Hoilett in full flight. Sadly for the hosts Alejandro Faurlin wasted the free-kick.

Leeds should have led on 27 minutes when a long ball caught out the home defence and Chris Wood beat Rob Green to the loose ball only to take the ball to too acute an angle before lashing across goal and wide.

But Rs skipper Nedum Onuoha was as close as anyone to breaking the deadlock with his long-range screamer a fraction too high two minutes from the break.

The stalemate continued after the interval prompting a double substitution by Neal Warnock with Tjaronn Chery and Charlie Austin coming on for Petrasso and Yun Suk-Young on 56 minutes.

The effect was almost instant as Rangers forced a corner on the right and when the ball came in there was the talismanic Austin rising at the near post to head home with his first touch of the ball and end the goal drought.

It took a brilliant parry from Marco Silvestri to deny him a second and the visiting keeper excelled himself again when Austin turned provider to tee up Chery for a shot he somehow clawed to safety with 13 minutes left.

Hoilett could also have sealed the points late on, but Leeds offered little and Rangers were good value for Neil Warnock's first win as caretaker manager.