QPR 4 Leeds United 0: Hammer blow ends part of autos race and leaves Whites hanging by a thread

Leeds United’s quest for automatic promotion has been dealt a hammer blow, an awful 4-0 defeat at Queens Park Rangers handing a place in the Premier League to Leicester City and a golden opportunity for Ipswich Town to join them.

Daniel Farke's Whites could have moved four points clear of Ipswich in the Championship's second automatic promotion place with a victory at Friday night’s hosts yet have now given Ipswich the chance to seal promotion before Leeds even play again.

Friday night's reverse has left Leeds just one point ahead of Ipswich but having played two games more, Ipswich now able to pull an unassailable five points clear of United if winning Saturday night's clash at Hill City and Tuesday evening's visit to Coventry City.

Leaders Leicester, meanwhile, have now sealed promotion whilst victory for QPR also ensured they are safe from the drop.

QPR began brightly and went ahead with just eight minutes on the clock through Ilias Chair who was not closed down as he ran towards the Whites back line from deep.

Chair then cut inside past Ilia Gruev before unleashing a low drive which took a slight deflection off Joe Rodon en route to sailing past Illan Meslier into the bottom right corner.

Just as they did at Middlesbrough, Leeds looked to hit straight back and Joel Piroe's shot across goal was tipped away by keeper Amir Begovic, the ball then scrambled behind for a corner which QPR survived.

At the other end, Sam Byram entered the book for clattering into Chair at force and sending him sprawling to the deck.

From the free-kick, Chair squandered a good chance to double the Rs advantage as he hammered a shot over the bar from inside the box after United's initial clearance.

A glancing header from Lyndon Dykes from a Kenneth Paal cross then flew well wide as the hosts continued to threaten but a second goal looked likely and it quickly arrived through Lucas Andersen in the 22nd minute.

Moor poor Leeds defending allowed QPR's Danish winger to ease into the box from the right flank and Andersen worked space in front of Gruev before rifling a low finish into the bottom left corner.

Piroe then again looked to provide an immediate response but his drive from range flew wide of the right hand post.

A terrific save from Begovic then denied Leeds just after the half hour mark as Crysencio Summerville's powerful volley from a Willy Gnonto cross was beaten away, Piroe's attempt on the follow up deflected over the bar.

A few minutes later, Piroe's hooked through ball played in Gnonto who eventually opted to shoot and saw his effort blocked and sent behind for another corner which again came to nothing.

A late lunge from Gnonto on Dykes then earned the Italian a booking and another potential good Whites opening was wasted just before the break when a brilliant cross from Junior Firpo flew through the box with no takers and out for a throw.

Leeds boss Daniel Farke made no changes during the break, after which Georginio Rutter squandered the first chance by flicking a header well wide from a Byram cross.

Rutter was then picked out by an Archie Gray cross but QPR defender Steve Cook blocked Rutter off and forced the ball behind for a corner. From that corner, the ball was eventually worked to Rutter who dragged a good chance wide from close range.

QPR then went close to bagging a third goal as a fierce strike from the excellent Chair was deflected just wide for a corner which was cleared to Jack Colback whose attempt was deflected just wide.

With Leeds struggling to make any inroads, Mateo Joseph was brought on to replace Byram just after the hour mark.

From a Firpo cross, Joseph immediately went close, his attempt to stab the ball home from close range saved by Begovic but Leeds denied a corner.

At the other end, yet another effort from Chair was deflected over the bar before Meslier was forced to fly out at the feet of Paul Smyth to thwart another dangerous QPR attack.

But Leeds were just not at the races despite the magnitude of the tie and the hosts bagged a third goal in the 73rd minute in easy fashion as Dykes headed home from a corner.

Whites star Summerville and Rutter were then hooked off in he 79th minute as Jaidon Anthony and Joe Gelhardt were thrown on, after which an awful free-kick from Piroe was blasted into the stands.

As the clock hit 84 minutes, Gnonto could only hit a weak effort straight at Begovic and United's night then got even worse in the 86th minute as yet another set piece, this time a Chair free-kick, was headed home by Sam Field.

QPR: Begovic; Dunne, Cook, Clarke-Salter (Fox 81), Paal; Field, Colback (Hayden 81); Willock (Adomah 87), Andersen (Smyth 59), Chair; Dykes (Armstrong 87). Subs not used: Walsh, Cannon, Larkeche.

Leeds United: Meslier; Byram (Joseph 63), Rodon, Ampadu, Firpo; Gruev (Kamara 88), Gray; Summerville (Anthony 79), Gnonto (Shackleton 88), Rutter (Gelhardt 79), Piroe. Subs not used: Darlow, Cooper, Cresswell, Crew.