Leicester 1 Crystal Palace 2 - 27 October 2012

Eagles end Foxes' winning streak

Leicester fell to second in the Championship following defeat to Crystal Palace

Leicester City were handed their first league home defeat of the season this afternoon at the hands of managerless Crystal Palace.

Damien Delaney put the Eagles in front midway through the first-half after Kasper Schmeichel had spilled a high ball in the penalty area, before Peter Ramage doubled the visitors’ lead five minutes later with a header from a corner.

Andy King pulled a goal back in second-half stoppage time, but it was not enough to prevent Leicester’s 100 per cent home record coming to an end.

The loss sees Nigel Pearson’s side slip to second in the Championship, following Cardiff City’s 4-0 victory over Burnley.

Crystal Palace looked the more organised side, especially in midfield, and could have gone ahead in the first minute when Dean Murray found space at the back post, but the striker dragged his shot across goal.

At the other end, Lloyd Dyer picked out Jamie Vardy down the left-hand side with a clever ball over the top, and while the former Fleetwood Town striker did well to pull the ball back into the penalty area, David Nugent’s shot was directly into the path of Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni.

Andy King and Anthony Knockaert then had attempts which failed to trouble Speroni, while Wilfried Zaha’s speed and ability started to cause problems for the Leicester backline.

Palace were ahead half-way through the first period when Mile Jedinak’s corner-kick was spilled by Kasper Schmeichel, and although it looked like the Dane may have been impeded when collecting the ball, he could do nothing about Damien Delany’s powerful finish from ten yards.

The visitors looked the better side after the goal, and almost doubled their advantage when Zaha’s strike from 25 yards hit the outside netting of the Leicester goal.

The Foxes were 2-0 down soon afterwards when Peter Ramage headed past Schmeichel from Yannick Bolasie’s corner.

The goal capped a six-minute period which would have left Nigel Pearson fuming on the touchline, especially with the way both goals were conceded from set pieces.

Leicester nearly pulled a goal back five minutes before half-time, but David Nugent’s close-range effort was somehow cleared off the line by the Crystal Palace defence.

Andy King then forced a brilliant save from Julian Speroni with a fine curling strike from just inside the penalty area, which might have given the Foxes a route back into the game before the break.

Leicester did improve in the second-half and should have gone ahead before the hour mark when Wes Morgan’s header across goal picked out Jamie Vardy, but his effort failed to test Speroni as it sailed over the crossbar. 

As Leicester pushed forward in numbers, they were left vulnerable in defence and could have fallen further behind if it wasn’t for a strong last-ditch challenge by Morgan on Wilfried Zaha.

The Foxes were denied a possible penalty when David Nugent’s header was cleared off the line by Owen Garvan, and although the Leicester players shouted for handball, no spot kick was awarded and Palace were able to clear their lines.

Leicester did got on the score sheet in second-half stoppage time when Andy King headed past Speroni from Paul Konchesky’s cross, but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation as the Foxes fell to their first Championship home defeat of the season.

Man of the Match – Wilfried Zaha  

Leicester City 1 Crystal Palace 1 - 12th April 2011

Leicester City came from a goal down to pick up a precious point against relegation-threatened Crystal Palace at the Walkers Stadium last night.

Sean Scannell scored against the run of play in the first half with a long-range strike that deceived Leicester goalkeeper Chris Weale.

Matt Oakley levelled for the Foxes after half-time with a wonderful volley but Leicester were unable to break down a determined Crystal Palace side – who had Wilfried Zaha dismissed in second-half stoppage time for apparently spitting at Lloyd Dyer after reacting aggressively to a challenge by Patrick Van Aanholt.

The result left Leicester ninth in the Championship with just five games remaining, but results around them went favourably – meaning the Foxes closed the gap on sixth-placed Leeds United to just four points.

Sven-Goran Erikkson will have seen the result as a missed opportunity to catch up on the top six, however, with teams around Leicester failing to make ground.

Erikkson fielded the same starting eleven that beat Burnley 4-0 at the weekend, but with Palace defending in numbers, the Foxes found it much more difficult to create many clear cut chances – Diomansky Kamara posing the first real threat on 23 minutes when he latched on to Paul Gallagher’s cross into the penalty area; but the Senegalese striker’s effort failed to trouble goalkeeper Julian Speroni.

It was Crystal Palace who took the lead after half an hour when Sean Scannell fired a speculative effort that appeared to be a routine save for Chris Weale – but the Foxes’ keeper lost the ball in flight as it flew into the back of the net.

The goal was very much against the run of play, but Leicester responded positively at the other end with Sol Bamba forcing Julian Speroni into making a save after connecting with Paul Gallagher’s corner.

Gallagher then tested Speroni with a free-kick, before Diomansky Kamara saw his shot blocked over the bar.

Palace could have doubled their lead through Pablo Counago after a good run from Wilfried Zaha, but the Spaniard failed to hit the target from twelve yards.

The second-half saw Paul Gallagher replaced by Darius Vassell - a substitution that seemed to spark life into Leicester in the opening stages of the second period.

The Foxes were rewarded for their hard graft on 58 minutes when the ball fell sweetly to captain Matt Oakley, who drilled a thunderous volley past the helpless Speroni from eighteen yards.

It was the skipper’s first goal in two years, and it could not have come at a more important time for Leicester.

Chris Weale had to be alert just after the hour mark to keep out another Sean Scannell shot at the near post, but the visitors – despite having been a goal up – appeared content to play for a point, currently holding the worst away record in the Championship having taken just seven points from 21 games.

Patrick Van Aanholt forced Julian Speroni into a save at the near post with twenty minutes remaining before Yakubu inexplicably fired over the bar after a fantastic run by Darius Vassell.

With the pressure building, Steve Howard and Lloyd Dyer entered the fray – but Palace’s dogged defending kept the home side at bay and Leicester fans frustrated.

Patrick Van Aanholt fired a free-kick over the bar in stoppage time in what appeared to be Leicester’s last chance of the match – but the fullback was involved in more late drama after Wilfried Zaha reacted angrily to a crunching challenge on the flank by the Dutchman – who then appeared to spit at Lloyd Dyer, giving referee Ian Williamson little choice but to dismiss Zaha.

The full-time whistle blew after seven minutes of stoppage time, and although Leicester did battle back to pick up a valuable point, Sven-Goran Erikkson will know time is running out on the Foxes’ playoff hopes – but with five games remaining, anything is possible.

Man of the Match – Matt Oakley