A sparkling attacking display ensured Leicester recorded their 6th consecutive home win in the SkyBet Championship as they beat a spirited AFC Bournemouth side 2-1.
The Foxes were insatiable in attack and took the lead on the 20th minute following an exquisite finessed effort from in-form David Nugent.
The visitors replied five minutes before half time when Marc Pugh unleashed a fearsome 25-yard strike which rifled in to the far corner of Schmeichel’s net, against the run of play.
But it was Leicester who started the brightest after the break, and the reformed Foxes front man Vardy, scuttled on to a long ball from Andy King before coolly rounding a hapless Allsop before slotting home.
Bournemouth’s Elliot Ward was later sent off for a second yellow following a cynical trip on the enigmatic Drinkwater, with the contest seemingly over once the visitors were reduced to ten men.
With the Championship’s most fierce home record, Leicester started the afternoon with an unchanged side from last week’s 2-1 victory against Huddersfield.
It was the visitors that started the brightest on a blustery afternoon at the King Power Stadium, with Harry Arter and Lewis Grabban instigating early chances for the away side but failed to uphold any sustained pressure in the early stages.
But the home side soon found their form, with Leicester’s attacking quartet of, Jamie Vardy, Lloyd Dyer, Anthony Knockaert and David Nugent telepathy causing problems in the early stages.
On the 20th minute, it was a trademark direct run from the effervescent Lloyd Dyer that split the Cherries’ back four, before having the nous to slide a simple, square ball to Nugent to fire home from the edge of the box.
The in form Foxes striker eloquently opened his body up before curling a sumptuous effort passed the hapless Allsop in goal, before seeing the ball nestle in off the post, for Nugent’s 8th goal of the season.
The home side continued their early dominance by creating a mêlée’ of chances thereafter, with Vardy clearing a Wes Morgan header off the line from a corner.
Nigel Pearson’s men superiority thereafter was profound with Lloyd Dyer and Anthony Knockaert squandering chances to double Leicester’s lead.
The steely, combative determination of Leicester’s midfielder Danny Drinkwater was the driving force behind all of home side’s play, and the ex- Manchester United man, seamlessly turned defence in to attack with an array of neat touches and tireless runs beyond the Bournemouth midfield pairing of Arter and Collison.
However, the Foxes could not extend their lead, and were seemingly caught out before half time, when Cherries winger Mark Pugh unleashed a fierce 25-yard shot in to the far corner.
The goal was Pugh’s first of the season, and put the away side back on the front foot going in to half time, with the scores level at 1-1.
The second half began in similar fashion with the home side in the ascendancy, with the pace and panache of the Foxes play causing problems to a Bournemouth back four who have conceded 27 goals this season.
Despite bringing on star striker Brett Pitman early in the second half, the away side struggled to uphold any prolonged periods of possession, with chances few and far between for the visitors.
The match was all but over after an eventful five minute period which saw Leicester regain the lead before Bournemouth centre-back Elliot Ward was dismissed for his second yellow card of the game.
The Foxes regained the lead, thanks to a sumptuous finish from striker Jamie Vardy.
The striker bagged his 4th goal of the season after he latched on to a long ball from Andy King, before effortlessly rounding a tentative Allsop in the Bournemouth goal, and easily rolling home the finish.
Just minutes after conceding, Bournemouth were further confounded when Elliot Ward tripped Danny Drinkwater as the midfielder was driving in to the box, and received a second yellow card, and effectively finished the match as a contest.
Leicester squandered a flurry of late chances to put the result beyond all doubt, with substitute Jeff Schlupp squandering the best chance, when he failed to convert a Knockaert cross from inside the 6 yard box.
The home side cruised through until the final whistle, with the win taking Nigel Pearson’s side to second in the npower Championship, while Eddie Howe’s
Bournemouth slip to 11th in the table, 6 points outside the play-off picture.
Teams: LCFC – Schmeichel, Konchesky, Morgan, Wasilewski, Moore, Knockaert, Dyer, Drinkwater, King (Hammond), Nugent (Wood), Vardy (Schlupp)
AFCB – Allsop, Francis, Cook, Ward, Daniels (Thomas), Pugh, Fraser (Pitman), Collison, Arter, Grabban (Elphick),Rantie.
Attendance : 23,357
