Nugent's spot on...again!

Leicester City 2 - 1 Barnsley

David Nugent scored his fifth penalty of the season to give Leicester City all 3 points at the King Power Stadium this afternoon. It looked like it was going to be a frustrating afternoon for the Foxes in the first half, as they failed to break the deadlock before the interval. Dyer and Vardy both had good chances to give City the lead, before Knockaert was fouled in the box and the referee failed to award what looked like a certain penalty. Having dominated the possession and created so many chances, the Foxes would have been frustrated to go in 0-0 at the break. Nigel Pearson could have been forgiven for making changes at half-time, particularly as Barnsley were determined to keep 11 men behind the ball. However, the manager sent the same team out in the second half and they delivered the goods.

First, Nugent ran on to an excellent Lloyd Dyer pass in the 50th minute and fired a shot into the bottom corner of the net. Less than 12 minutes later, Vardy sprinted through to latch onto a loose ball. He knocked the ball past goalkeeper Butland, who brought the striker down with a clumsy challenge. Nugent's spot-kick was ruthless - into the top corner. Leicester were comfortable at that stage and should really have gone on to win more comfortably. However, a defensive lapse in concentration allowed Scotland to steal in at the back post and score an easy header for the visitors. It created a nervous 20 minutes for Leicester and they were indebted to Kasper Schmeichel for pulling off a superb save 8 minutes from time, diving full length to his left to claw out a Crainie header. 

Leicester now face away trips to Yeovil on Tuesday night and Doncaster on Saturday. They will looking for a minimum of 4 points from these two games to consolidate their superb start to the season.

Capital One Cup - 4th Round Draw

Leicester City will face Fulham at home in the last 16 of the Capital One Cup. The match is likely to take place on Tuesday 29th October. The draw in full:

Sunderland v Southampton
Leicester City v Fulham
Birmingham City v Stoke City
Manchester Utd v Norwich City
Burnley v West Ham Utd
West Bromwich Albion/Arsenal v Chelsea
Tottenham Hotspur v Hull City
Newcastle Utd v Manchester City

Regulars Rescue Fringe Foxes

Leicester City 2 - 1 Derby County

Nigel Pearson made 8 changes to his starting line-up for tonight's Capital One Cup tie against Derby County and it nearly cost the Foxes their place in the 4th Round. City found themselves 1-0 down at the break after a dismal first half display. The introduction of Nugent, Dyer and Knockaert changed the game, the first two coming on at the very start of the second half. City were able to get a foot-hold in the game and two goals in two minutes won the tie for the home side. 

Chris Martin gave the visitors the lead in the 42nd minute, sliding the ball past Kasper Schmeichel. It was probably a deserved lead as Leicester had not found their way out of first gear. City didn't draw level until the 78th minute when Anthony Knockaert scored from a 25-yard free kick. It was a fabulous strike which rebounded off the underside of the bar, over the goal line and into the roof of the net. Derby had barely recovered their composure when, just two minutes later, Drinkwater produced a clever backheel to steer the ball into the bottom corner. Leicester go into the hat for the fourth round draw which takes place tomorrow night.

Blackpool Beach King Kon Comeback

Blackpool 2 - 2 Leicester City

Two Leicester goals in less than 2 minutes from Paul Konchesky and Andy King almost stole all 3 points for the Foxes at Bloomfield Road this afternoon. In the end, the match finished 2-2, enough to keep City above Blackpool in the Championship table, with a return of 17 points from 8 games. Leicester now sit third behind QPR and Burnley, having lost just one league match so far this term. It was a good result for City, who didn't play at their best and were 1-0 behind until the 72nd minute. The hosts took the lead in the 19th minute, when Chris Basham rose well at the back post to head home Fuller's cross. In truth, it could have been worse than 1-0 at half-time for Leicester.

City found their way back into the match when Jack Robinson fouled Danny Drinkwater in the box in the 72nd minute. As Nugent had been substituted, it was left to Paul Konchesky to calmly side-foot the penalty into the bottom corner, sending the Blackpool keeper the wrong way. Less than two minutes later, Andy King fired a sublime left-footed shot into the top corner from outside the box. The Tangerines were clearly shocked by the sudden shift in fortunes and it looked as though Leicester would hold on to claim all 3 points. However, Schmeichel clumsily bundled over MacKenzie in the penalty area in the first minute of injury time and Ince scored the equalising goal from the spot. Although this was a frustrating end to the game, Leicester will certainly be taking the positives from the game.

The Foxes found a way back into the game from a losing position, away from home against a very good side. Pearson's double substitution and change of formation turned the game around. Taylor-Fletcher and Schlupp replaced Nugent and Dyer respectively and City switched to 4-3-3. The two Leicester goals followed just 5 minutes later. City managed 15 shots at goal to Blackpool's 10 and dominated possession, with 57% of the ball over the course of the game. It was certainly a point gained, particularly when you consider that Leicester's next two league games are against teams currently sitting in the relegation zone. Before that of course, the mouth-watering prospect of a cup game against East Midlands rivals Derby County at the King Power Stadium on Tuesday night.

Formidable Foxes are Top of the Tower

Leicester City 2 - 1 Blackburn Rovers

Leicester produced their third successive home league victory to move top of the Championship table, after a 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers. Lloyd Dyer opened the scoring for City in the 16th minute after an excellent pass from Andy King. On the stroke of half-time, Leicester were awarded yet another penalty and David Nugent stepped up to give Leicester a comfortable 2-0 lead at half-time. In the second half, City created a plethora of good chances and should have extended their lead. Vardy, King and Nugent all went close. Inevitably perhaps, after spurning a whole host of chances, Blackburn pulled a goal back - Drinkwater conceded a penalty kick and Jordan Rhodes converted for the visitors. City held on though to secure all 3 points and top spot in the league. 

Overall, it was an excellent performance from the Foxes and things are starting to fall into place. Vardy and Moore have been in inspired form so far this season. Experienced players like Morgan, King and Dyer are playing consistently well. Pearson is also making subtle changes to his squad. Experienced Polish international Marcin Wasilewski has signed on a one year contract. The 33 year old has 60 caps for his country and adds a wealth of experience to the squad. Former Wigan trainee Ryan Watson has signed on a one year deal. Finally, it emerged this evening that former Blackpool forward Gary Taylor-Fletcher has been training with the club although no deal has been agreed as yet. An away trip to Blackpool is next up for Leicester. City will be hoping that they can enjoy the view from the top of the tower again on Saturday evening.

That's Moore Like It!

Leicester City 2 - 0 Wigan Athletic

Leicester got back to winning ways this afternoon with a 2-0 home victory over Wigan Athletic. Liam Moore scored his first goal for the club that he joined at the age of 7, heading home Knockaert's corner after 15 minutes. In celebrating the goal, Moore put his foot through the advertising hoarding - it clearly meant a lot to him! The Foxes created some excellent chances after that but poor finishing, particularly from David Nugent, meant that they had to wait until the 81st minute to double their advantage. Beausejour fouled Vardy in the box and Nugent dispatched the penalty kick. It was a good, solid performance from Leicester, although Wigan were poor.

The visitors did have one good spell in the second half after making all 3 substitutions. However, Pearson combatted their tactics by switching to 4-5-1 and playing Wood as the lone striker with Vardy and Nugent wide. It was a crucial stage of the game and Pearson's substitutions may have been a telling influence on the final result. The manager was forced to watch from the stands, having being handed a one match touch-line ban after the Charlton game. Pearson will be relieved to get back to winning ways and a return of 13 points from the first 6 games puts the Foxes in 4th place. They will be hoping to continue their good form against Blackburn on Tuesday night at the King Power Stadium.