Leicester 3 Coventry 0 - 17/02/2007

Leicester 3 Coventry 0 - 17/02/2007
Leicester City: Levi Porter, Alan Maybury, Andy Johnson, Patrick Kisnorbo, Nils-Eric Johansson, Paul Henderson, Geoff Horsfield (Elvis Hammond 90), Gareth McAuley, Mark Yeates (Richard Stearman 81), Jason Jarrett, Iain Hume (Danny Cadamarteri 84)
Subs not used: Conrad Logan, Darren Kenton
Goals: Horsfield 11, Johnson 18, Horsfield 26

Coventry City: Andy Marshall, Colin Hawkins, Andrew Whing, Jay Tabb, Isaac Osbourne, David McNamee, Robert Page, Michael Mifsud (Kevin Kyle 45), Dele Adebola (Adam Virgo 81), Leon McKenzie, Stephen Hughes (Christopher Birchall 69)
Subs not used: Luke Steele, Che Bunce
Booked: David McNamee 23, Robert Page 87

Attendance: 25816
Referee: C Webster

Teamtalk
The Milan Mandaric era opened with a rapturous welcome for Leicester's new owner and a 3-0 victory over Coventry at the Walkers Stadium.

Mandaric, whose £25million Foxes takeover was finalised this week, was treated to a standing ovation from home fans prior to kick-off when he told them he would do "everything humanly possible to take the club to the highest level of football as soon as possible".

And once in the stand, the Foxes' new chairman was soon out of his seat again as on-loan Sheffield United striker Geoff Horsfield scored his first goal for the Foxes.

Midfield team-mate Andy Johnson also scored his first Leicester goal when he headed home to double the hosts' lead ahead of another Horsfield strike giving them a 3-0 interval advantage.

The Foxes had been on the offensive early on and, with Sky Blues defender Colin Hawkins off the field for treatment, should have opened the scoring from Levi Porter's right-wing corner in the fourth minute.

But although Jason Jarrett was presented with the ball unmarked at the back post, poor control mean the eventual shot was blocked by Dele Adebola.

However, Leicester took the lead in the 11th minute as Porter, this time in the left channel, crossed to the far post for Horsfield to send a looping header over goalkeeper Andy Marshall.

And although Stephen Hughes managed a clearance, assistant referee Graeme Atkins indicated the ball had crossed the line.

Leon McKenzie's shot was easily saved by Paul Henderson at the other end before the Foxes went further ahead when Andy Johnson's close-range header left Marshall with no chance following a right-wing centre from Iain Hume in the 18th minute.

And Horsfield was on the scoresheet again in the 26th minute as he controlled a pass from Nils-Eric Johansson and held off Robert Page to fire under Marshall's dive.

McKenzie then headed wide after Andy Whing crossed from the Coventry left.

Caretaker Coventry manager Adrian Heath replaced midfielder Michael Mifsud with striker Kevin Kyle for the start of the second half, but Leicester picked up where they had left off prior to half-time by penning the visitors in their own penalty box.

The Sky Blues' riposte came from Adebola, whose right-foot shot was tipped away by Henderson for what proved an unproductive corner.

Next, Henderson was called on to save a point-blank header from McKenzie close to the post before Leicester reasserted themselves by forcing back-to-back corners.

In the 69th minute Chris Birchall replaced Stephen Hughes in the Sky Blues midfield ahead of the visitors going close again through Adebola, who headed McKenzie's cross-shot a whisker wide of rooted Henderson's woodwork.

With less than 10 minutes remaining Adam Virgo replaced Adebola while Leicester's Richard Stearman was introduced for Mark Yeates with Danny Cadamarteri on for Hume.

Horsfield enjoyed back-slaps when he returned to the Leicester bench after being swapped for Elvis Hammond in stoppage time.

CCFC
The Sky Blues endured a disappointing afternoon in the East Midlands when they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Leicester City.

First half goals from Andy Johnson and a brace from Geoff Horsfield condemned City to defeat and the Foxes to local bragging rights. Coventry faired better in the second half but lacked that killer instinct in front of goal.

Adrian Heath made one change to side that drew 2-2 with Cardiff, Stephen Hughes replaced Michael Doyle who returned to Ireland for family reasons.

Hughes missed the match against the Bluebirds through illness and partnered Isaac Osbourne in the centre of midfield.

Andrew Whing was passed fit after being forced off against Cardiff through injury.

The trip up the M69 came a little too early for Marcus Hall and Elliott Ward.

The Midlands derby got off to a ferocious start with the Foxes enjoying the majority of the possession. Leicester had the first opportunity of the match when Jason Jarrett had his shot from the edge of the area smartly blocked by Dele Adebola on seven minutes.

The Sky Blues went a 1-0 down four minutes later when Levi Porter delivered a dangerous cross into the penalty area which was met by Horsfield, who looped his header over Andy Marshall. The ball seemed to take an age to cross the line and David McNamee tried in vain to hook it back but to no avail.

The goal gave the Foxes confidence and Rob Kelly's side doubled their lead on 18 minutes when Johnson powerfully headed home an Iain Hulme cross.

Horsfield was proving to be a real handful for City's defence and the former Leeds United man found himself on the edge of the six-yard box with plenty of room to turn and pick his spot to score his second goal of the game on 26 minutes.

Moments later Leon McKenzie had Coventry's first opportunity of the afternoon when he directed a header inches wide of the Leicester goal.

Marshall produced an excellent save just before half-time to deny Mark Yeates from the edge of the penalty area, the Sky Blues custodian did well to push the powerful shot round the post.

City made one change at half-time with Kevin Kyle replacing Michael Mifsud, the change saw the Sky Blues revert to a three pronged attack with Adebola and McKenzie.

Adrian Heath's side began the second half brightly when Adebola forced Henderson into a top draw save as the former Crewe player turned and shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Henderson again denied the Sky Blues on 54 minutes when the keeper blocked McKenzie's near post header. The striker connected with Kyle's cross but could only direct his header straight at the keeper's body.

Coventry were certainly looking brighter after their poor first-half performance and McKenzie came close to getting a goal back when he tried his luck from range and Henderson pushed the shot round the post.

From the resulting corner, a goal mouth scramble emerged with both Kyle and Page having efforts cleared off the line.

With just over 20 minutes left Chris Birchall replaced Stephen Hughes and the Trinidad and Tobago international combined well with McKenzie who whipped in a teasing cross into the area for Adebola who fired a bullet header agonisingly wide.

The Sky Blues made their final substitution of the game with Adam Virgo coming on for Adebola with nine minute remaining on the clock.

Leicester made their first change of the afternoon with Richard Stearman replacing Yeates and the change nearly had an instant impact when the youngster failed to connect to a teasing ball across the penalty area.

With less than a minute remaining Osbourne tried his luck from the 25 yards but the weak shot summed up the disappointing afternoon for the Sky Blues.

4thegame
Leicester City's new era got off to a stunning start with a comprehensive demolition of near-neighbours Coventry City.

New owner Milan Mandaric was given a rapturous welcome before kick-off and the Serbian-American tycoon then received an instant return on his £25million investment as the rampant Foxes raced into a three-goal lead inside 30 minutes.

The first clear chance of the game fell to the home side after three minutes when a Levi Porter corner reached Jason Jarrett at the far post but the midfielder, on loan from Preston, failed to control the ball and the danger was cleared.

The Foxes continued to press and they were rewarded with the opening goal on 11 minutes when Porter's cross from the left channel was met by Geoff Horsfield. The veteran striker's header looped over the keeper and across the goal-line.

Andy Marshall then did well to push away Iain Hume's long-range shot as Leicester continued to pour forward.

And the flying Foxes doubled their lead on 18 minutes when Hume crossed from the right and Andy Johnson stooped to head home from six yards out.

A third goal after 26 minutes was no surprise with Hume stepping over Nils-Eric Johansson's low cross to allow Horsfield to turn and fire a low shot into the far corner of the net.

Coventry's best retort at this stage was an effort by Leon McKenzie who had pulled away to the far post before heading just wide.

Two minutes before the break Mark Yeates had time to control Porter's cross from the left before stepping inside his marker and crashing in an 18-yard drive which Marshall was grateful to scramble away.

Coventry began the second half in more determined mood with Paul Henderson having to be alert to keep out headers from first Dele Adebola and then McKenzie.

Bolstered by their commanding lead Leicester slackened the pace after the re-start safe in the knowledge that, as Coventry continued to push forward in numbers in a bid to rescue something from the game, gaps would begin to appear at the back for the home side to exploit.

In the 78th minute Adebola headed McKenzie's mis-hit shot just wide before Leicester substitute Richard Stearman was a whisker away from getting a head to a Hume cross.

Then, in the dying moments, Henderson comfortably gathered Adebola's weak shot from distance to cap a miserable afternoon for the visitors.

After the match a delighted Leicester manager Rob Kelly said: "We couldn't have had a better start. There was an air of anticipation around the place this week.

"The bar's been raised and the players reacted to that. There is a new atmosphere and I'm really pleased with the result for both players and supporters.

"I was also pleased with our first-half performance and the fact that we now have back-to-back clean sheets.

"It's been refreshing this week because all the talk has been about football where beforehand we weren't able to focus and our minds would stray wondering what was happening with the takeover.

"That was no good because in this division you can't afford not to concentrate." Sky Blues caretaker boss Adrian Heath said: "We made a terrible start and never got going until the second half by which time the damage had been done.

"Our first-half performance was very poor while Leicester were much more comfortable today.

"The first-half defensive performance was poor. We couldn't handle their two frontmen and allowed too many crosses to come in.

"I thought with the takeover here we would have to go out and try and stifle them but unfortunately that never happened."