City Rock Blackpool

Blackpool 1:2 Leicester City

City won their first league game at Blackpool since 1937 on Saturday afternoon, with a goals from N’Guessan and Dyer capping a fine performance…

Nigel Pearson made just one change for this trip to the seaside with N’Guessan in for the suspended Wellens.
City had the first chance early on when a quickly taken throw in from Oakley caught out the Blackpool defence but Fryatt couldn’t beat Gilks from an acute angle. 
Blackpool then came close in the 12th minute when a rising shot from Dobbie out on the right was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Weale.
After this close call City took a 15th minute lead. Waghorn sent N’Guessan through with a superbly precise 40 yard pass and the Frenchman coolly steered the ball past the advancing Gilks and in at the far post.
Ian Holloway’s side pressed forward in search of an equaliser and Vaughan and Bannan both went close.
At the other end King’s half volley from 25 yards was tipped round the post by Gilks. From the resulting corner Hobbs was inches away from nodding the ball in at the far post.
Blackpool then had an incredible let off when a goalmouth scramble from another corner ended with Fryatt firing the ball goalwards from one yard. Smonehow it struck Baptiste on the leg and bounced clear.
City had another golden opportunity to stretch their lead early in the second half when a fine run and cross from N’Guessan on the right was met by Waghorn from 6 yards. The ball bounced off both Gilks’ legs before being hooked away by a defender.
As the action swung from one end to the other Dobbie made a run into the box but was foiled by Weale at the near post.  
As the half progressed Blackpool pressed forward and Southern’s header was tipped round the left hand post by Weale.
Soon after Weale was tipping the ball around the same post when a Dobbie volley from 25 yards almost crept in.
There were nervous times for City, but the tension was dispelled in the 78th minute when City doubled their lead. Gallagher won the ball in midfield and then sent Fryatt down the right. His slide rule cross was met by Dyer who beat Gilks from 6 yards. The City fans shook the temporary stand as they celebrated the three points, though there was still a nervy end to the game.
Blackpool found a way past Weale at last in the 89th minute, beating two men before finding the net with a low shot from the edge of the area.
Five minutes time added on fired up the home crowd and with seconds remaining Adam went down in the area after contact from N’Guessan and there were loud appeals for a penalty.
Fortunately for N’Guessan, who’d had his best game in a City shirt to date, the ref didn’t want to know – booking Adam for diving - and seconds later he blew the final whistle amid furious scenes.
This wasn’t City’s problem however. They had won at Bloomfield Road for the first time in 73 years and regained their place in the play-off frame with a fine performance.    
Nigel Pearson observed: “We needed to get back to winning ways. If we had a bit of good fortune before the end we were certainly due it.”

Blackpool: Gilks, Baptiste, Eardley, Crainey, Evatt (Demontagnac 74), Southern, Adam, Bannan (Burgess 44), Vaughan, Dobbie, Taylor-Fletcher. Subs Not Used: Edwards, Butler, Euell, Husband, Rachubka.
Leicester: Weale, Brown, Berner, Hobbs, Morrison, King, Oakley, Gallagher (Howard 87), Fryatt, N’Guessan (Bruce 89), Waghorn (Dyer 59). Subs Not Used: Logan, Neilson, McGivern, Verma.

Referee: A Haines (Tyne & Wear). Attendance: 8,484.

City Crash Out of FA Cup

Cardiff City 4:2 Leicester City

A late collapse in time-added-on saw City dumped out of the FA Cup in this fourth round tie at Cardiff, when they had done enough to earn a replay over 90 minutes…

Nigel Pearson made three changes to his side for this second trip to Wales in eight days; with Wellens, N’Guessan and Waghorn in for King, Dyer and Fryatt.
There was a lively start to this cip tie and City had an early chance, when a headed clearance fell nicely for Waghorn but he got under his volley and ballooned the ball thirty yards over the bar.
Ledley then had the ball in the net for the home side but the celebrations were halted by the linesman’s flag.
It was only a temporary reperive for City as the Bluebirds took a 16th minute lead when Chopra crossed from the right and Bothroyd sent an emphatic header past Weale from close in.
City stuck to their task howver, and equalised in the 34th minute. Gallagher lofted a free-kick into the area and an unattended Morrison rose to nod it on past Marshall in Cardiff’s goal.
Five minutes later the City supporters were celebrating again as N’Guessan latched onto a chip forward from Oakley, sandwiched between defender and goalkeeper the City striker beat both, prodding the ball home from close range.
City took that lead in at the break  and kept it for most of the second half. Hobbs did well to clear a McCormack free-kick and Weale pulled off a fine save from a vicious Chpra shot.
But they were finally breached in disappointing fashion in the 71st minute when a Whittingham free-kick from wide on the right floated over everyone and in at the far post. 
City pressed forward in search of a winner: N’Guessan had claims for a penalty waved away when he was tripped and then Marshall pulled off a fantastic save, blocking a Kermorgant header.
It looked as though City had earned a replay as th e90 minutes were up, but time-added-on brought a sting in the tail.
A shot from the edge of the area hit a Cardiff player and fell into the path of substitute Burke who fired it home from 16 yards.
Worse was to come a minute later as Chopra had his shot blocked by Morrison but McCormack was on hand to net the rebound.
The 4-2 scoreline was harsh on City, who had battled well… at least until the clock read 90.

Cardiff: Marshall, Quinn (Burke 61), Gerrard, Hudson, Kennedy, Whittingham, Ledley, Blake, Chopra, McCormack, Bothroyd. Subs Not Used: Enckelman, Gyepes, Taiwo, Meades, Feeney. 
Leicester: Weale, Brown, Hobbs, Morrison, McGivern, Oakley, Wellens, Gallagher, N’Guessan, Kermorgant, Waghorn (Fryatt 82). Subs Not Used: King, Powell, Dyer, Logan, Howard, Neilson.

Referee: P Crossley (Kent).

Attendance: 10,961.

City’s Late Show Sees Off Plymouth

Leicester City 1:0 Plymouth Argyle

City left it until the 3rd minute of time added on to beat Plymouth at a rain-swept Walkers Stadium, on Saturday. 

Nigel Pearson made two changes to his side with Kermorgant and Gallagher in for N’Guessan and the suspended Oakley. Brown took the captain’s armband in Oakley’s absence.
City immediately settled into a good rhythm and there were early chances for Kermorgant and Wellens before Fryatt looked certain to open the scoring with a penetrating run through Argyle’s defence, but he narrowly missed the target.
Argyle pushed forward for a spell but never really troubled City’s defence, and the home side regained the initiative towards half time.
Wellen’s saw his well struck shot saved by Larrieu, and the Argyle keeper also did well to block a Berner effort.
Fryatt nodded a chance just wide and Hobbs saw his far post header bundled round the post by Larrieu, but the sides went in at the break goalless.
City’s dominance continued in the second half but still they couldn’t deliver that final ball. Waghorn went close with a header and then a long range effort; Gallagher had a shot blocked; and then Fryatt beat two defenders before Arnason fell on the ball, blatantly handling it in the process. Referee McDermid saw no offence, but he was to make up for it later.
Nigel Pearson then brought on N’Guessan for Kermorgant and Howard for Waghorn, but still City could not find a way through.
On a rare foray upfield Plymouth’s Mackie went down in the area under a challenge from Brown but, to a huge sigh of relief from the home crowd, the ref booked Mackie for diving.
N’Guessan had a shot saved and City were camped out in Argyle’s half for the closing minutes.
Three added on minutes of the allocated four had passed when City finally made the breakthrough. 
The ref awarded City a corner that should have been a goal-kick,  Adams – just on for Fryatt – delivered a good ball, N’Guessan fired a low shot through a crowded six yard area but it was blocked on the line… it fell nicely for King who jabbed it home for a late, late winner that delighted the home crowd.
It also delighted Nigel Pearson whose team moved up to third place: “We nicked it late on, but that’s the nature of football. I’m delighted for the players because their application was first class. They are a group of talented players who are striving to be in a better place, whether we can achieve that success in the form of promotion remains to be seen.”

Leicester: Weale, Brown, Berner, Hobbs, Neilson, King, Wellens, Gallagher, Fryatt (Adams 84), Kermorgant (N’Guessan 72), Waghorn (Howard 76). Subs Not Used: Logan, Campbell, Morrison, McGivern.
Plymouth: Larrieu ,Sawyer ,Lowry ,Judge ,Folly ,Mackie ,Paterson (Clark ,59 ) ,Fletcher ,Duguid (Johnson ,88 ) ,Arnason ,Gow (Fallon ,80). Subs Not Used: Letheren, Sheridan, Barnes, Noone.

Referee: D McDermid (London). Attendance: 27,174.

City Triumph at Loftus Road

Queens Park Rangers 1:2 Leicester City

City produced a superb performance at Loftus Road on Friday night, coming from behind to win 2-1, Matty Fryatt netting both the goals…

Nigel Pearson made two changes for the visit to in-form QPR, with Berner replacing McGivern at left back and N’Guessan in for Gallagher. 
There was a sense of deja vu as City lined up against blue and white hooped opposition for the second time in five days, and an entertaining, open, attacking encounter unfolded right from the kick off.
Play swung from one end to the other… Borrowdale found the side-netting with a shot on the turn; then Waghorn was inches away from connecting with a Fryatt cross from the right. Routledge broke clear, but sent his shot wide, while Waghorn had a chance saved by Rangers’ keeper Cerny.
In the 14th minute Waghorn then found the net but the celebrations were halted by the linesman’s flag. 
The end to end stuff continued and Weale brilliantly tipped away a Faurlin free-kick at full stretch. 
The breakthrough came for the home side in the 32nd minute, Taarabt and Simpson unzipping City’s backline with a neat passing move that ended with the Moroccan striker slotting home from 15 yards.
Moments later Taarabt almost doubled Rangers’ lead but his shot went narrowly wide.
Instead it was City who bounced back… Waghorn and Wellens combined well down the left, N’Guessan delivered a perfect cross from the left, and Fryatt nipped between two defenders to nod home from inside the six yard box.
City looked the stronger side after the break – Waghorn was again a split-second too late to reach an N’Guessan cross, and N’Guessan narrowly failed to nod in a Wellens cross at the far post.  
At the other end Buzsaky went close with a long range effort, but it was City who were next to trouble the scorers.
R’s keeper Cerny presented City with an absolute gift in the 64th minute. His weak clearance intended for Ramage was intercepted by Fryatt who raced towards goal. This was his third one-on-one on the keeper in five days, but this time he made no mistake clipping the ball past Cerny  and into the net right under the noses of a delighted travelling support.
Weale made a fine save from Routledge as QPR went in search of an equaliser. He got a cut above the eye for his pains and the time it took to bandage him up accounted for much of the 5 minutes that were added on. City weathered the home side’s pressure well and there were no real dramas. A late free-kick for the home side went straight into the wall and City had completed a hugely impressive points haul of 6 from two tricky looking away fixtures.
Nigel Pearson commented: “I’m sure Matty will be delighted to get two goals, but the bigger picture is about results. I thought it was a thoroughly professional performance. We are where we are on merit – although we won’t be by Saturday evening. We can be satisfied with how the season has gone so far – and we are only a third of the way through.”

QPR: Cerny, Borrowdale, Ramage (Vine 67), Stewart (Hall 54), Gorkss, Leigertwood, Routledge, Buzsaky, Taarabt (Agyemang 86), Faurlin, Simpson. Subs Not Used: Ainsworth, Heaton, Alberti, Parker.
Leicester: Weale, Brown, Berner, Hobbs, Neilson, King, Oakley, Wellens, Fryatt (Gallagher 75), N’Guessan, Waghorn (McGivern 89). Subs Not Used: Dyer, Logan, Howard, Kermorgant, Morrison.

Referee: Jonathan Moss (West Yorkshire). Attendance: 17.082.