Nugent nets hat-trick as
Foxes tame Tigers
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© isriya, Flickr
David Nugent scored his second, third and fourth goals of the season as Leicester's fine home run continues |
David Nugent scored a hat-trick as Leicester won their second
game in five days to give Nigel Pearson a win over his former employers.
Nugent opened the scoring after seven minutes with a fine
curling strike after Danny Drinkwater’s shot had fallen kindly into his path.
Jay Simpson equalised for the visitors midway through the
first-half, but Nugent grabbed his second goal five minutes before the break with
a fine header into the bottom corner from Anthony Knockaert’s cross.
Hull manager Steve Bruce was sent to the stands in the
second-half after an altercation with an assistant referee before Nugent completed
his hat-trick in stoppage time after the Foxes caught the visitors on the break.
Leicester’s second win in five days pushes them up to seventh
in the Championship, while they remain undefeated in league games at the King
Power Stadium so far this season.
Nigel Pearson started with the same eleven that defeated
Burnley on Wednesday night, and he only had to wait until the seventh minute to
see his side go ahead as Danny Drinkwater’s ambitious strike hit Nugent inside
the penalty area, before the frontman regained his composure to curl the ball
past Hull goalkeeper Ben Amos.
It was the first time Leicester had scored in the opening
half of a league game so far this season, and a sign that Nugent was back to
his best after ending a baron run of not scoring in the Championship with his
second goal in as many starts.
The home side continued to pressure Hull and could have
doubled their lead when Jamie Vardy latched onto Anthony Knockaert’s through
ball, but his shot was pushed behind by Ben Amos.
From the ensuing corner, the former Fleetwood Town striker saw
his effort cleared off the line before David Nugent almost latched onto a Vardy
cross as both forwards continued to cause the Hull defence problems.
However, the visitors grabbed an equaliser against the run of
play when Sone Aluko fired the ball across goal and directly into the path of
teammate Jay Simpson, who stuck a foot out to guide the slam the ball into the
net.
Hull could have gone ahead moments later when Wes Morgan was
caught in possession at the back by Jay Simpson, but Matty James was on hand to
prevent the danger.
Anthony Knockaert’s quick footwork allowed him to pick out
Ben Marshall on the flank who fired a dangerous ball into the area intended for
Jamie Vardy, but the ball broke for Nugent who could only hit the side netting
from a tight angle.
Leicester managed to restore their lead three minutes before
half-time when Knockaert picked out David Nugent inside the penalty area with a
fantastic cross, and the one-time England international leapt above his marker
to head the ball past Ben Amos.
It was a well-worked goal that gave Leicester a deserved
advantage before half-time after a first 45 minutes in which both sides had a
number of good opportunities.
Jamie Vardy really should have made it 3-1 after the break
after he found himself unmarked with the ball at his feet inside the penalty
area, but his shot was somehow turned away by Amos.
Wes Morgan headed just over from a corner, while, at the
other end, Sone Aluko kept Kasper Schmeichel alert with a decent strike from 25
yards.
Knockaert tested Amos from distance, before Ben Marshall
dragged a shot wide as Leicester continued to knock on the door – and the task
became much greater for Hull when their manager Steve Bruce was sent to the stands
after a reacting angrily to a decision made by the assistant referee who had
judged the ball to have gone out of play with Hull on the attack.
The visitors’ best chance to equalise came from a Robert
Koren free-kick which was tipped over the bar by Schmeichel, but as Hull continued
to push forward, Leicester caught them on the counter-attack in stoppage time
with Lloyd Dyer teeing up Nugent inside the penalty area to complete his
hat-trick and give the hosts all three points.
The win meant that Leicester’s 100 per cent home record in
the Championship remained intact, as Leicester now turn to two consecutive away
games as they look to pick up their first points of the season on their
travels.
Man of the Match – Anthony Knockaert
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