Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp was pleased with the reaction of his side on Saturday after moving off the bottom of the Premier League with a 3-2 win over fellow strugglers Leicester City.

Charlie Austin headed the winner with just over a quarter of the game remaining to inflict a fourth defeat in five for the visitors and Redknapp praised his side after they had conceded early on.

“We could have felt sorry for ourselves in the first five minutes but we didn’t, we came back strong,” he said.

“It was an excellent performance, there was a lot of pressure on the game today, when you’re stuck at the bottom you know if you don’t win or draw today you’re cut adrift, to get three points has put us back in there again.” 

The Foxes, who hadn’t scored in five games, went ahead after just four minutes when experienced midfielder Esteban Cambiasso capitalised on a loose ball to guide an effort into the bottom corner.

A mistake in the City defence gifted the hosts an equaliser after 37 minutes as captain Wes Morgan inadvertently turned Steven Caulker’s dangerous ball across the six-yard box into his own net.

Rangers took the lead on the stroke half-time through Leroy Fer, who smashed home his first goal for the club after City keeper Kasper Schmeichel had superbly denied Austin from close range.

The visitors were rewarded for a sustained spell of pressure after the break as Jeffrey Schlupp equalised with a crisp effort from just outside the area.

Schmeichel produced a magnificent save to deny Fer his second of the game, but following a goalmouth scramble from the resulting corner, R’s top scorer Austin was on hand to net his seventh of the season and the winner.

Nigel Pearson, whose Leicester side are without a win since September, was left frustrated with the manner of defeat.

“Lots of positives, but remains frustrating for us, more so when we’ve had a go,” he said. 

“(We) deservedly took the lead and lost poor goals. We created enough chances to win multiple games today. We threatened and were a bit unlucky but the players are frustrated.”