The first game of 2008 saw a relegation six pointer at Loftus Road with struggling Leicester the visitors.

With so many games over Christmas there was not the tension around this game you would usually associate with a crucial game at the bottom of the table but that could have also been due to the hangovers many suffer at this time of year.

Gi Gi De Canio continued his policy of rotating the squad over the Christmas period and made changes to the side that beat Watford. Akos Buzsacky and Rowan Vine returned to the side as Marc Nygaard and Angelo Balanta dropped to the bench with the team switching back to a 4-4-1-1 system.

For the second time in a week we were up against Barry Hayles who signed for Leicester on loan before the game and he was subject to some strange songs from the Q block who accused him of being greedy and only at Leicester for the money which is pretty much pot calling the kettle black when you consider what we're planning to do this month. I doubt any of our new players are joining due to a deep hidden love of QPR.

Rangers started the game attacking towards the school end in front of a subdued atmosphere and the game started slowly with neither side wanting to make any early mistakes. As usual the main danger man for Leicester was Iain Hume who looked dangerous on the ball but appeared to be playing deep and as such didn't hurt us as much as he usually does.

It was a game of few chances but Rangers took the lead after fifteen minutes through Damion Stewart. It was an almost identical goal to the one he scored at Watford. This time it was Buzsacky whipping in a superb corner for Stewart to run onto and head past the keeper and make several fans a little richer with his odds at 40/1 for first goalscorer an absolute steal.

That was the catalyst for several Leicester players to give up which won't have pleased Ian Holloway but Rangers made sure they took advantage, Rowan Vine was causing havoc on the left and helped create a chance for Blackstock which he headed just over the bar. Vine also had an effort himself, which went wide of the post.

A second goal seemed on the way and it arrived before half time. Once again it was Vine at the heart of it all with a nice run and a lovely cross to the far post where Blackstock's header beat the keeper and looked to be creeping in before Adam Bolder ran in and headed the ball in to make sure. After seeing it on television Bolder did the right thing as Blackstock's header was going wide but the Rangers number nine wouldn't have long to wait for his goal drought to end.

The game looked as good as over and Buzsacky tested the keeper with a curling free kick as the pressure continued. Leicester were woeful and Holloway made a change before half time bringing on big Steve Howard who is always a threat at this level. Howard didn't have much of an impact before the break, as the game became very stop start with an overly fussy referee who just never really let the game flow or play any sort of advantage.

I never understand why referees insist on a free kick being taken when the ball is in the goalkeepers hands anyway, all that happens I Camp runs 10 yards further forward and kicks a dead ball wasting a minute or two. After all the time wasted by the referees whistle it was amusing to see the ref going mad at us to hurry up on throw ins and free kicks later on in the game.

At half time everything looked good but I thought we needed another goal as Leicester were bound to improve, as they couldn't get much worse. As expected Leicester did come out flying and we struggled to get out of our own half in the first few minutes after the break. First Hayles missed the target before Stearmen hit the bar and the game looking to be swinging towards the visitors.

Steve Howard was next to go close picking up the ball 30 yards out before firing a shot towards goal which Camp just tipped onto the post and was cleared away to safety.

Rangers needed to get back in control and quickly did with the killer goal of the game. Vine turned one way then the other putting the Leicester full back on his arse before picking out a perfect ball to the far post where Blackstock rose and seemed to put months of frustration into his header and powered it into the back of the net. Blackstock's first goal since the opening day of the season got the biggest roar of the afternoon and the game was now all but over.

Leicester inevitably got a goal back and it was probably the best of the game. Iain Hume curled a brilliant free kick over the wall and into the back of the net to give Leicester hope and with half an hour left there was still plenty of time for us to make hard work of it.

Mind you they rarely looked like scoring with Howard and Hayles having a few headers go wide when they could have done better. Gavin Mahon came on for his debut in place of Ainsworth before Marc Nygaard came on to replace Bolder.

Buzsacky was rolling out the party tricks with some sublime skill on the ball as was Vine who was having a great time taking the piss out of his full back who must have wanted to be somewhere else by the end of this game.

Blackstock had a good chance to add a fourth goal when he robbed a defender but his shot went just wide of the post and he seemed to be given some stick by a QPR fan in the Lower Loft to which he reacted to angrily and needed to be calmed down by his team mates.

Leicester had one late chance to make a game of it when Fryatt got away from Stewart and placed a header towards goal but Camp got down brilliantly to make a fantastic reaction save ad keep our two goal lead in tact.

Rangers played out the rest of the game without much trouble and made it three wins out of four over Christmas and moved us from bottom of the league up to eighteenth. A good weeks work by any standard.

De Canio deserves praise for the way he has rotated the squad and kept them fresh so we could get these results and the players have responded well. Praise must go to the back four who had been pretty hopeless a few weeks ago but the likes of Zesh Rehmann and Bob Malcolm have really stepped up and performed when it mattered and credit must go to them.

In midfield Martin Rowlands again played well whilst Buzsacky continues to be a player worth paying the entrance fee to watch. Dexter Blackstock did well and deserved his goal and playing the last game of his loan spell Rowan Vine also impressed on the left wing.

Rangers now face the daunting task of a visit to Chelsea in the FA Cup. This has to be treated as a game where we have nothing to lose. The players need to go out and give it a good go but know the result at Chelsea will not be the most important of our season.

Man of the Match: Rowan Vine

Players Ratings: Camp 8, Malcolm 7, Barker 7, Stewart 7, Rehmann 7, Bolder 7 (Nygaard 5), Rowlands 7, Ainsworth 7 (Mahon 6), Buzsacky 7, Vine 8, Blackstock 7 (Walton 6)