Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart received an unusual let-off when a little-known rule denied Queens Park Rangers a goal in the teams' Premier League clash on Saturday.

With the score 0-0 in the game at Loftus Road, City were awarded a free-kick inside their own penalty area after QPR striker Charlie Austin had seen a header ruled out for offside.

Hart slipped on the greasy pitch as he took the free-kick, nudging the ball forward with his standing foot and then toeing it straight to Austin, who gobbled up the invitation by slamming a low shot into the net.

But the goalkeeper protested that in touching the ball twice he had broken the rules and referee Mike Dean concurred, allowing the England goalkeeper to take the kick again.

The laws of the game state that in such instances, an indirect free-kick should actually be awarded to the opposing team, but Austin had the last laugh anyway as he put QPR in front in the 21st minute.