Leicester City 1 Blackpool 0 - 1 September 2012

Foxes bounce back with win over Blackpool

Victory for Leicester pushed them into the top half of the Championship

Ben Marshall's second-half penalty was enough to give Leicester all three points in a 1-0 win at the King Power Stadium over table-toppers Blackpool this evening.

The goal came ten minutes after the break after Jamie Vardy was brought down inside the box by Portuguese midfielder Tiago Gomes.

Ben Marshall's converted from twelve yards to send the Foxes faithful into raptures and quash any fears of a fourth consecutive defeat for Nigel Pearson's side.

It was another disappointing return to Leicester for former manager Ian Holloway, who has now seen his Blackpool side lose five times against the Foxes since parting ways with the club in 2009.

Following Leicester's Capital One Cup midweek 4-2 defeat to League Two Burton Albion, Nigel Pearson will have been delighted with the reaction of his players, as Jamie Vardy, Lloyd Dyer and the goalscorer Marshall all looked threatening going forward.

But it was in defence that Leicester really excelled, as the partnership of Wes Morgan and Liam Moore managed to shut out a dangerous Blackpool side that had scored ten goals in their previous three league outings, including six against Ipswich last weekend.

Leicester looked positive from the outset and almost took an early lead when Ben Marshall's piercing through ball sent Jamie Vardy through one-on-one, but Blackpool keeper Matt Gilks did well to save the former Fleetwood striker's low shot with his feet.

Danny Drinkwater then tested his luck from distance with a shot on goal, before Thomas Ince for the travelling side saw his near post effort parried away for a corner by Kasper Schmeichel. 

Jamie Vardy had another effort blocked midway through the first-half as Leicester began to dominate possession, and the hosts were almost ahead when Ben Marshall's low free-kick evaded the Blackpool wall, but Matt Gilks did well to get a hand to it and push the ball out for a corner.

The Tangerines finished the half strongly when Thomas Ince had another effort saved by Kasper Schmeichel, before Barry Ferguson's dipping volley struck the foot of the Leicester post.

If Leicester ever needed to come out swinging in the second-half, today was certainly that day, following three consecutive losses for the first time since 2010, and Nigel Pearson's men did exactly that by taking the game to the visitors and looking like the only team who would break the deadlock.

Jamie Vardy had a penalty appeal turned down within minutes of the restart before Andy King's shot from 20 yards beat Matt Gilks and several Blackpool defenders, but clipped the offside-David Nugent on its way into the net, resulting in the goal being disallowed.

Ben Marshall then played Lloyd Dyer in behind the Blackpool defence, but he was well-tackled before having the opportunity to get the ball out from under his feet.

Marshall was in the thick of the action again when David Nugent latched onto another through ball from the former Sheffield Wednesday winger, but he was adjudged to have been offside before playing the ball across goal to an unmarked Jamie Vardy who surely would have put the Foxes ahead.

Leicester did eventually take the lead two minutes later when the Vardy was clumsily brought down by Tiago Gomes just inside the Blackpool area, resulting in the home side being awarded a penalty.

Ben Marshall stepped up to convert from twelve yards with a powerful strike into the left-hand corner, and while Matt Gilks got a hand to the ball, he was unable to keep his side from falling behind with just over half an hour left to play.

It was a deserved lead for Leicester, who had been by far the better side for the opening hour of the match, continually piling pressure on Blackpool and causing their defence all sorts of trouble.

Vardy should have doubled the Foxes' advantage on the hour mark when he pounced on a poor throw in, but never managed to get a shot away and the chance fell begging.

David Nugent then had a shot tipped wide after a clever through ball from Lloyd Dyer, while Thomas Ince continued to keep the Leicester defence on their toes after popping up at the back post, but he could not find the target.

Lloyd Dyer had a chance cleared off the line, before Jamie Vardy and Jermaine Beckford wasted good opportunities to put the hosts out of sight with time running out.

Blackpool looked as though they might grab an equaliser in the final minutes of the match when Thomas Ince's shot across goal was just out of reach for substitute Kevin Phillips.

Either side could have scored during an end-to-end injury time period, but Leicester held on until the final whistle to alleviate some of the pressure before the international break and end Blackpool's 100 per cent start to the Championship campaign.

Man of the Match – Wes Morgan 

(La la la la la la) Ben Marshall

Why Leicester City's newest prospect is something for Foxes fans to get excited about

Ben Marshall has already become an integral part of this Leicester City side

© Ben Sutherland, Flickr

Five games remaining.  Five points outside the Championship play-off places.  Following what can only be described as an inconsistent season, Leicester City somehow still find themselves with the slimmest chance of making the play-offs for the second time in three years.  However, even the most optimistic Foxes fans will struggle to persuade others that promotion is still a possibility, bearing in mind that Leicester's fate this season is no longer in their own hands.  Realistically, they must win all of their remaining games, and rely on other play-off contenders slipping up.  The latter is possible, as all the teams currently occupying third to eighth in the Championship have struggled for recent form, winning four out of their last ten games at best (Leicester have won five of their last ten).  The former is the problem.  Nigel Pearson's side have only put up back-to-back wins once this season – something which has harnessed Leicester's success during this campaign. 

But regardless of how Leicester's season pans out in terms of league position and play-off possibilities, there is a reason to be optimistic next year – and that's the signing of Ben Marshall.

Marshall's move to the East Midlands was a real accomplishment for Nigel Pearson.  Several teams were supposedly interested in signing the Stoke forward in January, although many Leicester fans will probably hold their hands up and admit that they did not know much about Ben Marshall before his transfer.  Although previously a Stoke player from 2009, he never started a competitive game for the Potters and spent the last three years on loan at various lower league clubs.  After suffering a broken leg in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final in 2010 while on loan at Carlisle United, Marshall impressed at Sheffield Wednesday at the beginning of this season, scoring five goals in 22 appearances, and Gary Megson's inability to keep the 21-year-old at Hillsborough allegedly contributed to the former Foxes manager parting ways with Wednesday earlier this year.

Since penning a three-and-a-half year deal with Leicester City in January, the youngster has already made a real name for himself at the King Power Stadium.  In just nine appearances for Nigel Pearson's side, Marshall has scored three superb goals (most notably in the Foxes 5-2 FA Cup quarter-final loss against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge), and also has been credited with three assists.  His style of play is incredibly positive, and, although signed predominantly as a winger, has experienced considerable success playing just behind Jermaine Beckford in the middle of the pitch.  Marshall's confidence is also sky high, having proven to Nigel Pearson that he is worthy of a spot in Leicester's starting eleven. 

What's positive is that Ben Marshall is a Nigel Pearson signing.  Due to the timing of Pearson's return to Leicester City, his opportunities to make changes have been limited.  In theory, he inherited a squad that wasn't his – with the exception of a few players signed during his first spell with the club, namely Lloyd Dyer, Richie Wellens, Andy King and Steve Howard.  That's not to say that Pearson is necessarily unhappy with his squad, but he clearly felt the need to make some alterations in the January transfer window.   The addition of Wes Morgan indicated that it was thought that more depth was required in defence.  The addition of Danny Drinkwater indicated that a spark was needed in midfield.  Both have impressed since signing, and Ben Marshall is no exception to that small group of new signings.  

Regardless of what division the Foxes are in next season, there is little doubt that Nigel Pearson has found a player to incorporate into his side, and possibly develop a team around.  Players are likely to come and go in the summer to help solidify some consistency at Leicester City, and if Pearson continues to find more hidden treasures like Ben Marshall, next season promises to be one for the Blue Army look forward to.   But in the meantime, he could be the catalyst needed over the next five games to spark a dramatic finale to Leicester's Championship campaign.

Leicester City 4 Doncaster Rovers 0 - 7th April 2012

Foxes boost playoff hopes with resounding victory

Leicester have won eleven times at home in the Championship this season

Leicester City maintained their slim playoff hopes with a comfortable 4-0 win over relegation-threatened Doncaster United at the King Power Stadium.

Danny Drinkwater netted in the first-half following David Nugent's clever knock down, before Lee Peltier doubled the Foxes advantage after the break when his low cross somehow crept underneath Doncaster goalkeeper Carl Ikeme.

Ben Marshall put the game out of sight with a sublime curling strike from twenty yards, before substitute Paul Gallagher added a fourth with just minutes remaining.

It was a resounding victory for Leicester who are now unbeaten at the King Power Stadium since January, and one that closed the gap on sixth-placed Cardiff to just five points with as many games remaining in this Championship campaign.

Leicester came out swinging from the kick-off with David Nugent testing Carl Ikeme with a fierce strike from 30 yards, before Wes Morgan's clever header back across goal from a corner kick was almost turned in by Jermaine Beckford.

Beckford – who was showing no signs of any apparent fallout with Foxes manager Nigel Pearson after last weekend's 1-0 loss to Peterborough United – might have opened the scoring after five minutes after collecting Lee Peltier's ball into the Doncaster penalty area, but his shot lacked power and was easily cleared by the visitors.

At the other end, James Coppinger's shot from just outside the penalty area flew inches wide of Kasper Schmeichel's far post, while Giles Barnes came close for the away side moments later after a mix-up in defence between Sol Bamba and Wes Morgan.

Ben Marshall fired over the bar after initial good work out wide from Lloyd Dyer, before another defensive mistake gave Chris Brown the chance to give Doncaster an early advantage, but his shot failed to trouble Kasper Schmeichel.

Midway through the first-half, former Rovers captain Richie Wellens rose to meet Ben Marshall's out-swinging free-kick, but his header flew inches over the crossbar. 

The deadlock was eventually broken with just over ten minutes remaining in the first-half when David Nugent cleverly headed down Wes Morgan's long ball into the path of Danny Drinkwater, whose half-volley beat Carl Ikeme and clipped the inside of the post on its way in.

It was a cleverly worked goal from the Foxes, and Drinkwater's first since joining Leicester at the beginning of the year.

Doncaster looked good value for adding an equaliser before the break but Kasper Schmeichel did well to save James Coppinger's well-hit effort from outside the penalty area.

Leicester doubled their advantage two minutes into the second-half when Lee Peltier fired a low near post cross into the six yard box which initially appeared to have been comfortably dealt with by Carl Ikeme, only for the ball to squeeze underneath his body and across the goal line.

It was an agonising goal for Dean Saunders' side to concede but just the stroke of luck which some Foxes fans would argue their side has not received so far this season.

With the Foxes now in control, Paul Konchesky and Lloyd Dyer both had chances to extend the lead, but Ikeme this time was equal to both efforts.

At the other end, Chris Brown inexplicably headed over from six yards when it seemed easier to hit the target – a moment which summed up the visiting side's day.

With ten minutes remaining in the game, Ben Marshall added a third to Leicester's tally when he picked the ball up on the left-hand side of the pitch before cutting inside and firing a stunning twenty yard curling strike past the helpless Ikeme.

It was Ben Marshall's third goal for the Foxes and one which added to his collection of outstanding strikes as the youngster continues to make a real name for himself at the King Power Stadium.

With Doncaster on the ropes, Marshall and substitute Paul Gallagher came close to furthering the Foxes' lead with successive efforts on goal, before Marshall struck the crossbar with a looping shot which had Ikeme well-beaten.

Gallagher added a fourth for Leicester in the dying moments of the match, latching on to a dissecting pass from Andy King and firing into the bottom corner of the goal from eighteen yards.

It was the Scotsman's tenth goal of the season and a good confident boost for the out-of-favour forward who has seen his chances limited in recent weeks due to injury.

The final whistle put Doncaster out of their misery as they slip further into relegation trouble, while a comfortable home win for Nigel Pearson's side reignites their playoff hopes for this season.

Man of the match – Ben Marshall

Leicester City 2 Hull City 1 - 24th March 2012

Foxes fight back to snatch important win

Leicester have won four consecutive home games in the Championship

Leicester City reignited their play-off hopes yesterday afternoon after coming from behind to beat Hull City in a fiery encounter at the King Power Stadium.

Former Foxes striker Matty Fryatt put the visiting side ahead after eight minutes with a clever chip over Kasper Schmeichel, but two goals in quick succession from Lloyd Dyer and Ben Marshall gave Leicester the lead at half-time.

Neil Danns was shown a straight red with over half an hour left to play, but Nigel Pearson's ten men dug deep and held on for their fourth successive league win at home, closing the gap on the top six to just five points.

It was an important win for Pearson over his former employers after seeing his side concede an injury-time equaliser at Bloomfield Road against Blackpool on Wednesday night.

Leicester lined up differently to their usual 4-4-2 formation, with David Nugent playing wide on the left and youngster Ben Marshall playing just in front of the midfield behind Jermaine Beckford.

The Tigers had the better of a cagey opening, and took advantage of their first real chance when Neil Danns conceded the ball cheaply in midfield and Tom Cairney's through ball to Matty Fryatt allowed the former Leicester City forward to chip over the onrushing Kasper Schmeichel, giving Hull the lead.

It was a clinical finish from Fryatt but a cheap goal for the Foxes to concede, albeit almost somewhat typical of recent poor defensive displays over the last month.

Corey Evans fired wide just moments later before Josh King forced a good save from Kasper Schmeichel as the visitors looked to turn the screw.

But against the run of play, Lloyd Dyer found space on the right wing, cut inside his defender and fired a low strike across goal which found its way past Vito Mannone in the Hull goal and into the bottom corner.

It was a much-needed equaliser for Nigel Pearson's side who had been simply outplayed for the majority of the half.

Leicester's turnaround was completed just moments later when David Nugent regained possession shortly after the restart, played the ball to Ben Marshall inside the opposing half who fired a superb 30 yard shot past the onlooking Mannone.

It was a stunning strike from Marshall, not dissimilar to his goal in Leicester's 5-2 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Chelsea last weekend.

With the crowd of 23,000 now behind them, the Foxes began to play with more confidence, and could have extended their advantage when Lloyd Dyer's speedy counter-attack ripped through the Hull midfield, but his final ball to Jermaine Beckford was just too heavy.

Hull might have been level five minutes before half-time when Josh King volleyed inside the area, but Sean St. Ledger made a crucial block to keep Leicester's lead intact.

Ben Marshall then fired over after good build-up play by David Nugent just before the break, but came out the stronger side in the second-half as Lloyd Dyer beat two defenders inside the Hull penalty area before blasting wide into the side netting.

The game changed dramatically ten minutes after half-time when Neil Danns was shown a straight red by referee Nigel Miller for a dangerous challenge on Hull's Paul McKenna.

The foul sparked confrontational scenes on the pitch, most notably between Jermaine Beckford and former Foxes captain Jack Hobbs, although on first glance both Danns and McKenna seemed to go for the ball in similar fashion.

Hull immediately went on the front foot in search of an equaliser, and came close when Cameron Stewart forced a fine near-post save out of Kasper Schmeichel.

Jack Hobbs then saw his header crash against the post as Hull began to dominate possession, but Leicester held firm and might have put the game out of sight with just over ten minutes to go when Jermaine Beckford's excellent ball over the top to Danny Drinkwater gave the midfielder space to tee up a strike on goal, but his effort was well-saved by Vito Mannone.

Substitute Sol Bamba then hit the post with a low drive from 20 yards, before Lloyd Dyer fired wide after initially doing well to keep the ball in play on the touchline. 

Hull continued to control possession, but Leicester defended resolutely and should have put the game to rest when Jermaine Beckford's stunning cross-field pass to Dyer allowed the winger to cut inside the last defender, but his shot flew just wide of the goal.

Wes Morgan made a crucial block inside the penalty area to thwart another Hull attack, before substitute Aaron Mclean fired high and wide for the visitors in what proved to be their last chance of the game.

The final whistle indicated a vital three points for Leicester City as they continue to make their bid for the play-offs, while Hull manager Nicky Barmby will have been disappointed to see his side unable to break down the ten-man opposition.

Man of the match – Lloyd Dyer

Chelsea 5 Leicester City 2 - 18th March 2012

Five-star Chelsea end Foxes' FA Cup dream

Leicester's 6,000 travelling fans were in full voice at Stamford Bridge

Fernando Torres' brace ended his five-and-a-half-month goal drought and booked Chelsea's place in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley after beating Leicester City 5-2.

Gary Cahill and Salomon Kalou put the hosts ahead in the first-half, before Torres scored from close range after the break – his first goal in 23 hours of football.

Jermaine Beckford pulled a goal back for the Championship side although Torres' near post header restored Chelsea's two-goal advantage.

Ben Marshall's sublime effort from 30 yards gave Leicester a lifeline, but Raul Meireles' injury-time strike ended any chance of a memorable comeback.

Chelsea were good value for their 5-2 win and created a number of scoring opportunities, although Leicester manager Nigel Pearson will be unhappy with how some of some of the goals conceded.

As expected, the first-half was one-way traffic, with only a crucial block from Wes Morgan preventing Fernando Torres from getting on the score sheet within the opening few minutes of the match.

Torres would cause the Leicester backline problems all afternoon, Sol Bamba on the receiving end this time as he allowed the Spanish international to cut inside him into the penalty area as Wes Morgan was forced to clear the ball behind goal.

The ensuing corner-kick by Juan Mata was headed home from six yards by an unmarked Gary Cahill, who unveiled a "Praying for Muamba" t-shirt, a mark of respect to his former Bolton Wanderers team-mate Fabrice Muamba, who remains in a critical condition after collapsing on the pitch against Tottenham Hotspur yesterday afternoon.

Chelsea, high on confidence after an impressive 4-1 midweek win over Napoli in the Champions League, came close to doubling their lead moments later after excellent footwork from Daniel Sturridge allowed Raul Meireles to shoot from close range, and although his strike beat Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, full-back Paul Konchesky was on hand to clear the ball off the line.

Leicester, who already looked on the ropes, found themselves 2-0 down after seventeen minutes when Fernando Torres raced down the flank before squaring to Salomon Kalou, who initially struggled to get the ball out from under his feet but regained his composure to finish coolly into the bottom corner.

The goal came from excellent work by Torres, who looked more like the prolific front man Chelsea fans had expected, rather than the striker who had previously netted just six times since his switch from Liverpool in 2011.

At the other end, Paul Gallagher fired over from distance before Sturridge struck just wide after getting the better of Sol Bamba again.

Fernando Torres then tested Kasper Schmeichel with a couple of shots from long range, in what would turn out to be a long day for the Danish goalkeeper, but he was equal to both strikes this time around.

Lloyd Dyer then set up Richie Wellens after a rare first-half attack by Leicester, but the Foxes captain dragged his shot wide of Peter Cech's goal.

Chelsea were dominating the midfield battle but Leicester's Neil Danns was still in fine attacking form, forcing Cech into a near-post fingertip save ten minutes before the break.

Leicester, to their credit, kept searching for a way into the match and might have done so through Lloyd Dyer after good work from Paul Konchesky and David Nugent, but the speedy winger pulled his shot over the bar as the first-half came to a close.

Substitute Florent Malouda was the first to try and extend Chelsea's lead in the second-half, but his shot flew wide after Leicester's defence continued to let attacking players cut inside.

Just before the hour mark, Sol Bamba was on hand to cut out Fernando Torres' pass to Daniel Sturridge in what would have been 3-0, although Chelsea did get their third shortly afterwards when Raul Meireles got the better of the struggling Bamba before the ball ended up at the feet of Torres, whose scuffed shot found its way past Kasper Schmeichel.

It was a long overdue goal for Torres and, although it came against lower league opposition, will be one both he and his team-mates remember as the one that ended his 152-day goal drought.

Torres could have scored again moments later as Chelsea continued to hammer the crumbling Leicester defence on the counter-attack, but his more spectacular strike flew just over the crossbar.

The visitors were handed a lifeline with thirteen minutes remaining when Neil Danns' thunderous strike from 25 yards smashed against the post, the rebound falling into the path of Jermaine Beckford who was on hand to tap home past the helpless Peter Cech.

It was Beckford's fifteenth FA Cup goal in as many starts in the tournament, and a deserved one for Leicester who had continued to attack Chelsea in the second-half despite finding themselves at a disadvantage in terms of both pace and class.

Torres did restore Chelsea's three-goal cushion with five minutes remaining after poor marking from a corner-kick allowed him to ghost in at the near post to head across goal and past a helpless Kasper Schmeichel, although Ben Marshall's emphatic 30-yard curling strike made it 4-2 just minutes after the restart gave the travelling 6,000 Leicester fans something to cheer about.

Raul Meireles put the Blues three goals ahead once again, with Torres again involved, this time the Spaniard racing down the left wing before picking out the Portuguese midfielder who coolly finished past Schmeichel from fourteen yards.

The final whistle ended Leicester City's FA Cup dream, but gave a resurgent Chelsea side a very realistic chance of winning some silverware this year after a difficult season.

Man of the Match – Fernando Torres

Leicester City 2 Coventry City 0 - 3rd March 2012

Foxes secure back-to-back wins

Leicester claimed back-to-back league wins for the first time in over a year this afternoon following a comfortable 2-0 victory over relegation-threatened Coventry City.

Leicester City are now just seven points outside the play-off places

David Nugent put Leicester ahead in the first half after Neil Danns was thwarted from the penalty spot by Sky Blues goalkeeper Joe Murphy.

Jermaine Beckford doubled the hosts' advantage on the hour mark with a close-range finish, with Nugent again involved in the build-up alongside Richie Wellens.

Substitute Sammy Clingan saw his second-half penalty saved by Kasper Schmeichel, before Foxes full-back Paul Konchesky was shown dismissed for a dangerous foul on Alex Nimely late in the game.

Leicester held on to secure an important three points, registering consecutive league wins for the first time this season.

Nigel Pearson named an unchanged starting XI from the side that won at Derby County last week, although Jeffrey Schlupp was named among the replacements for the Foxes.

Leicester were given a glorious opportunity to take an early lead when captain Richie Wellens was cleared out by Martin Crainee inside the penalty area, giving referee Lee Probert no alternative but to point to the spot.

In the absence of set-piece specialist Paul Gallagher, Neil Danns stepped up to take the penalty but saw his effort pushed wide by Coventry's Joe Murphy.

The hosts did take the lead five minutes later when Jermaine Beckford's low shot was parried by Murphy into the path of David Nugent, who was quickest to react from six yards, claiming his thirteenth goal of the season.

It was an instinctive finish by the former England striker, whose goals have been very important to Leicester's recent good run of form.

At the other end, Alex Nimely came close for Coventry when he was given space to cut inside Lee Peltier but was unable to test Kasper Schmeichel.

Leicester looked the side most likely to score the next goal, and could have doubled their lead when Sean St. Ledger latched onto Ben Marshall's corner kick at the back post, but the Republic of Ireland international could only volley over from close range.

Leicester wasted another good chance to extend their lead when Jermaine Beckford's dicing pass split open a disorganised Coventry backline, but Ben Marshall's effort sailed over the bar.

It was one-way traffic for the Foxes, and it should have been 2-0 before the break when Joe Murphy spilled a high ball in a dangerous position, but Ben Marshall again was unable to hit the target.

Paul Konchesky was next to capitalise on some shaky defending after a mix-up between two Coventry players allowed the former Liverpool full-back to have a clean run on goal, but he was unable to find an unmarked David Nugent inside the penalty area as another chance went begging.

Leicester continued to dominate the first-half, but were unable to find that all-important second goal before the break – and it was Coventry who came out stronger in the second period, threatening the home side with a succession of corners, although never really bringing any real pressure or shots on target.

The Foxes eventually did find double their lead fifteen minutes into the second-half when Richie Wellens and David Nugent linked up beautifully on the right side, before Nugent threaded a perfect pass across goal and into the path of Jermaine Beckford, who coolly slotted the ball past Joe Murphy.

It was a well-worked goal that demonstrated Leicester's ability to play free-flowing football, and diminished any threat of a comeback by Coventry – who have picked up just three points away from the Ricoh Arena this campaign.

Neil Danns was close to making it 3-0 after further fantastic build-up play in midfield allowed the former Crystal Palace man to get a shot off, but his low drive trickled just wide of the post.

Coventry were handed a lifeline with just under twenty minutes remaining when Wes Morgan was adjudged to have unfairly challenged Alex Nimely in the penalty area – but the visitors were unable to pull a goal back as Kasper Schmeichel did well to save Sammy Clingan's spot kick.

The game did end on a sour note for the Foxes when Paul Konchesky was shown a straight red card for a dangerous foul on Alex Nimely, reducing the hosts to ten men with just over eight minutes remaining.

But Leicester held on for a crucial three points and back-to-back league wins at just the right time in the season, pushing Nigel Pearson's men up to eleventh in the Championship and keeping their play-off hopes very much alive.

Man of the Match – Wes Morgan

Leicester City 2 Cardiff City 1 - 11th February 2012

Gallagher brace gives Leicester important win

Gallagher has scored seven goals for Leicester this season

Two goals from Paul Gallagher gave Leicester a deserved win over promotion-chasing Cardiff City to keep their own playoff hopes alive.

Gallagher scored from the penalty spot after Richie Wellens was clumsily fouled by Haris Vuckic, before the midfielder doubled Leicester's advantage with a fine second-half free-kick.

Peter Whittingham's penalty kick gave the visitors a lifeline, but Nigel Pearson's men held on to take an important three points, leaving the Foxes just six points outside the playoff places and ending Cardiff's nine game unbeaten streak.

Danny Drinkwater was handed his home debut by Nigel Pearson, and the former Manchester United man looked lively from the beginning, playing a dangerous ball across goal to Jermaine Beckford, but the in-form striker was unable to make contact.

Paul Gallagher volleyed wide for the Foxes after some good link-up play by Richie Wellens and Lee Peltier, while Chris Conley's bobbling shot was well-handled by Kasper Schmeichel.

Wellens then had an unorthodox overhead kick tipped away by Bluebirds' goalkeeper David Marshall, while Matt Mills' header from a free-kick flew inches wide of the far post.

Leicester continued to dominate possession in the first-half, looking more like the team in fourth place than thirteenth, with Jermaine Beckford and Paul Gallagher continuing to pepper away at the Cardiff goal.

With five minutes remaining in the first-half, Paul Konchesky hit a thunderous 25 yard volley on target, with David Marshall doing well to tip it around the post.

From the ensuing corner, Richie Wellens was untidily challenged by Cardiff's Haris Vuckic inside the penalty area, leaving referee Mark Halsey no option but to award the home side a spot kick, which was slammed home by Paul Gallagher to give Leicester a deserved half-time lead.

Leicester continued to dominate the game during the second-half, and came close to doubling their advantage when Danny Drinkwater dispossessed Peter Whittingham in midfield before finding Lloyd Dyer breaking down the left wing, whose pinpoint pass to David Nugent allowed the striker to fire across goal, but David Marshall made another excellent save to keep his side in the game.

The hosts did eventually get their second goal when Lloyd Dyer was bundled over on the edge of the Cardiff penalty area, allowing Paul Gallagher to curl a stunning free-kick over the wall from twenty yards.

The goal demonstrated the Scotsman's superb technique and ability from set pieces after a superb team counter-attack.

Substitute Rudy Gestede continued to be Cardiff's biggest threat, and won a penalty for the visitors against the run of play when Paul Konchesky was adjudged to have pushed the striker in the area following a corner kick.

Peter Whittingham made no mistake from the penalty spot, giving Malky Mackay's side a lifeline and the visiting fans something to cheer about.

As the minutes ticked away, Leicester substitute and home debutant Ben Marshall fired a long range shot over the crossbar, before playing a tempting near post ball towards Jermaine Beckford.

The hosts never looked like conceding a second goal, and the final whistle confirmed Leicester's first win in five games as their quest for a playoff spot continues.

Man of the Match – Danny Drinkwater