And with that, Charlie Austin's race is run. He leaves to a standing ovation, to be replaced by Sebastian Polter. Will we see Austin in a QPR shirt again? Not if the various Premier League clubs believed to be chasing him have any say.

Cardiff make an attacking change, sending on winger Craig Noone for Kagisho Dikgacoi.

Goodness me. How on earth has Charlie Austin not made it 3-1? The QPR striker is found 12 yards from goal by Massimo Luongo's pull-back, spins and fires goalwards. Keeper Simon Moore is beaten, but ex-QPR defender Matt Connolly diverts the ball on to the post. Extraordinary.

The introduction of Michael Doughty has given QPR a little more security, and they need it, because Cardiff are piling on the pressure... 

A degree of controversy about that second QPR goal. I've had a chance to see several replays now, and Clint Hill does appear to divert the ball towards goal with his left elbow before Austin gets the final touch. 

Referee Simon Hooper is not in a great position to see it, as he's looking through a crowd of players. The goal stands.

Tjaronn Chery looked useful in the first half, but QPR need a bit more steel here. So Chris Ramsey takes off the winger and brings on Michael Doughty.

QPR defender Nedum Onuoha makes a goal-saving challenge. Cardiff try to pass their way through the massed ranks of home defenders, and Scott Malone looks as if he's found a way through. Just as he is about to shoot, Onuoha whips the ball away. Get that wrong, and it's a penalty. Superb defending.

There's some very neat and tidy passing from Cardiff here. I can imagine they spend ages in training practising that game where you have to pass the ball between each other in a tight space without it being intercepted. Yet QPR's defence, having looked rickety in the first half, is standing a little more solid now.

Cardiff continue to look useful in attack. Scott Malone dinks a cross in towards Joe Mason. QPR defender Clint Hill uses his experience to make sure that: a) Mason doesn't reach the ball, and b) referee Simon Hooper isn't tempted to award a penalty. Mason's facial expression could be summed up in one word: Miffed.

No changes to either side at half-time, and we're back under way.

Let's bring you up to date with the rest of today's Championship action. As I mentioned earlier,  Brighton  lead the way with six points tonight, after Tommer Hemed's late penalty gave them a 2-1 victory at  Fulham.  They replace  Birmingham,  who had gone top earlier in the day with a 2-2 draw at  Burnley.

Middlesbrough  join a host of clubs tucked in behind Brighton on four points, having thumped  Bolton  3-0, with Kike scoring twice.  Ipswich  came from a goal behind to beat  Sheffield Wednesday  2-1.

Brentford won 4-2 at Bristol City in a thriller, while Nottingham Forest beat Rotherham 2-1, and Preston won 1-0 at MK Dons. Charlton drew 1-1 at Derby, while Blackburn did the same at Huddersfield.

Well, what an odd first half that was. Cardiff were on top for half-an-hour, then threw away a goal and looked a bag of nerves thereafter.

The first half ends with some more Cardiff defensive indiscipline, as Lee Peltier nods the ball behind for a corner under absolutely no pressure at all. Referee Simon Hooper blows the half-time whistle to spare Peltier's embarrassment.

Now Matt Phillips hangs a cross from the right for QPR, and Ben Gladwin arrives just beyond the penalty spot. Gladwin's head, however, suddenly turns into a 50 pence piece, and the ball flies more or less back in the direction from whence it came.

Cardiff manager Russell Slade has some work to do with his team at half-time. They've looked tidy going forward, but as flimsy as a poorly-assembled wardrobe at the back.

Rangers playing with much more confidence now. Tarjonn Chery plays a low ball into Matt Phillips, who spins and shoots over the bar. Chery, at the moment, is getting involved in a lot of good attacking stuff for QPR.

Cardiff really are rattled. Matt Phillips swings in a ball from the right towards Charlie Austin, and visiting centre-back Matt Connolly - once of QPR - slices a clearance that whizzes just wide of the far post. So nearly an own goal.

Should be 2-0. Tarjonn Chery delivers a lovely cross from the left, and it just eludes Charlie Austin. Cardiff are rattled.