Leicester 2 Coventry 0 - 12/01/2008
Leicester 2 Coventry 0 - 12/01/2008
Leicester City: Ben Alnwick, Joe Mattock, Richard Stearman, Patrick Kisnorbo, Gareth McAuley, Laczko Zsolt (Barry Hayles 81), Stephen Clemence, Matt Oakley, Gabor Bori, Iain Hume (James Wesolowski 90), Steven Howard
Subs not used: Bruno N'Gotty, James Chambers, Matt Fryatt
Booked: Patrick Kisnorbo 54
Goals: Steven Howard 11, Barry Hayles 85
Coventry City: Dimitrios Konstantopoulos, Elliott Ward, Gary Borrowdale, Ben Turner, Kevin Thornton (Liam Davis 78), Michael Hughes, Christopher Birchall (Robbie Simpson 38), Isaac Osbourne, Leon Best (Kevin Kyle 71), Dele Adebola, Michael Mifsud
Subs not used: Robert Page, Lee Hildreth
Attendance: 23905
Referee: Mr M Atkinson
Teamtalk
Steve Howard and Barry Hayles marked their home debuts with a goal a piece to give a new-look Leicester side a 2-0 home win over Coventry.
Howard, who along with Hayles represented six January signings in Ian Holloway's squad, opened the scoring with his first Foxes goal after 11 minutes before Hayles followed suit four minutes from time at the Walkers Stadium.
Michael Hughes lost possession on the edge of his own 18-yard box. Iain Hume threaded the ball behind the left side of Coventry's defence for Howard, whose low left-foot shot went through Dimi Konstantopoulos' legs at the near post.
Substitute Hayles opened his account when he capitalised on a defensive mistake by Ben Turner to race clear and slide the ball underneath the advancing Konstantopoulos.
The giant Greek got a hand on the shot but the ball trickled over the line to give Leicester their first win of 2008 and edge them away from the relegation zone.
Holloway made six changes to the side that went out of the FA Cup at Southampton - handing debuts to four new players.
Ben Alnwick replaced Paul Henderson in goal while there were also starts for Hungarian wingers Zsolt Laczko and Gabor Bori.
The newest arrival Matt Oakley, who joined on a three-and-a-half year deal from Derby on Friday, lined up in midfield alongside Stephen Clemence who returned from a one-match ban.
Hayles, who like Howard signed on January 1, had to settle for a place on the bench.
Howard's goal was reward for the hosts bright start after two chances had fallen to Laczko inside the opening five minutes.
Laczko headed Richard Stearman's right-wing cross wide before the Hungarian got himself into another good position soon after.
Hume crossed from the right-hand side but as Laczko ran across his marker at the near post, he could not keep his shot down and the ball sailed over the crossbar.
Holloway's side nearly undid their early work by gifting Coventry an equaliser after 15 minutes.
Dele Adebola's flick header from a long clearance looked harmless, but Patrick Kisnorbo and Alnwick left the ball to each other on the edge of the area and allowed Leon Best to nip in.
Alnwick recovered enough to thwart Best but the ball broke to Adebola, who with the goal gaping rolled his shot against the outside of the post.
Laczko was the most impressive of Leicester's new signings and he continued to cause Coventry problems after the break.
He created a shooting opportunity for himself immediately after the restart with a weaving run down the left wing before cutting inside and flashing an angled drive across the face of the goal.
He would later receive a standing ovation from the Foxes faithful when he was substituted for Hayles in the 81st minute.
Turner would have been disappointed not to test Alnwick soon after from Kevin Thornton's corner.
Thornton, making is first start of the season for Coventry in place of suspended captain Michael Doyle, delivered a perfectly-measured cross but Turner did not get enough on the ball and glanced his header wide.
Konstantopoulos kept Coventry in the game on two occasions in the space of as many minutes just after the hour mark.
He got down well to push Clemence's half-volley away from the bottom corner and around the post before smartly smothering Bori's deflected effort from the edge of the box.
Clemence went close again in the 72nd-minute when another half-volley, this time from the right-hand side of the area, whistled narrowly wide of the far post.
Leicester finally sealed all three points through Hayles in the 86th minute.
CCFC
Coventry went down by two goals to nil after a disappointing display at the Walkers Stadium.
Steve Howard netted early in the tie, while substitute Barry Hayles made it 2-0 late on as a new-look Leicester side dominated against a below par Sky Blues.
The home side started brightly and City had two lucky escapes in the opening five minutes as Leicester's new Hungarian midfielder Zsolt Lacko - one of five new arrivals at the Walkers Stadium to be named in the starting line-up - wasted two superb chances to give his team the lead.
Firstly he headed wide from eight yards out with no City defender to be seen, before he blazed a 15-yard shot well over the bar.
But it only took until the eleventh minute before Leicester took the lead, January signing Steve Howard slotting his shot through Dimi Konstantopoulos' legs after he was played through by the impressive Laczko to give the Foxes a deserved one-goal advantage.
The Sky Blues could and should have been level in the 15th minute when Leon Best nicked in to win a throughball ahead of Foxes new keeper Alnwick but when the ball fell to Dele Adebola his shot hit the foot of the post and went wide.
But on the whole the Sky Blues were just not at the races in a first half predominantly dominated by Ian Holloway's charges. At times City were simply unable to get the ball for any amount of time and could have been further behind had their opponent's other Hungarian import Gabor Bori not shot over the crossbar with 35 on the clock.
Towards the end of a poor opening period for City, Iain Dowie was forced into a change as Chris Birchall - making his first City start of the season - hobbled off to be replaced by Robbie Simpson.
The Sky Blues were guilty of giving the ball away with alarming regularity during the first 45 minutes and the opening exchanges of the second half indicated that nothing had changed.
But when Mifsud got a rare opportunity to utilise his explosive pace down the right flank, he won a free-kick and Simpson should have done better with a free header from Kev Thornton's delivery - his effort going harmlessly wide.
City were looking more useful as an attacking outfit but Konstantopoulos had to get down smartly to a Matt Oakley volley in the 64th minute, tipping the former Derby midfielder's shot around the post as it bounced awkwardly in front of him. The Greek keeper than produced another good save from Iain Hume to keep the Sky Blues in it.
With just under 20 minutes remaining Kevin Kyle replaced Best up front although it was the Foxes who were continuing to do the majority of the pressing, threatening to double their lead and kill the tie off. Liam Davis came on for Thornton in what was Iain Dowie's final switch - the livewire midfielder having had a quiet afternoon.
Ian Holloway made his only switch of the game with ten minutes left on the clock, bringing on another of his new signings, Barry Hayles and it was veteran striker who made it 2-0 to Leicester in the 85th minute, taking advantage of a defensive error by Ben Turner who slotted the ball past Konstantopoulos and into the back of the net, despite Turner's best efforts to track back and clear off the line.
4thegame
Leicester City's new strikeforce combined to blow away Coventry City and extend their unbeaten run against their M59 rivals to nine games.
The Foxes tore into their opponents from the start and were rewarded on 11 minutes when Michael Hughes was hustled out of possession to allow Ian Hume to feed Steve Howard, who thumped home an angled shot through the keeper's legs from six yards out.
Manager Ian Holloway gave Walkers Stadium debuts to five new faces, but fears that the revamped side would take time to gel were comprehensively dismissed as the East Midlanders dominated their neighbours from start to finish.
Coventry threatened just once throughout the game when they were gifted the chance of an equaliser on 15 minutes when a misunderstanding between on loan keeper Ben Alnwick and Richard Stearman gave Dele Adebola a clear sight of goal, but Leicester were relieved to see the Coventry striker roll a shot against a post with the goal gaping.
But it was the home side who remained in control with another new boy, Gabor Bori, blasting just over from 18 yards after the Coventry keeper had been forced to punch clear another dangerous cross from Hume.
Leicester had bossed the first half and were quick to resume their offensive after the restart with Hume, Stephen Clemence and Laczko Zsolt all threatening to increase the home side's lead.
Laszcko was a constant threat down Coventry's left all afternoon and he deserved his standing ovation when he made way for Barry Hayles after 80 minutes.
Leicester dominated from start to finish and their superiority was rewarded with five minutes to go when Ben Turner stumbled to allow another new boy, substitute Barry Hayles, to take full advantage to stroke home the Foxes second beyond an unprotected Dimitrios Konstantopoulos.
Leicester City: Ben Alnwick, Joe Mattock, Richard Stearman, Patrick Kisnorbo, Gareth McAuley, Laczko Zsolt (Barry Hayles 81), Stephen Clemence, Matt Oakley, Gabor Bori, Iain Hume (James Wesolowski 90), Steven Howard
Subs not used: Bruno N'Gotty, James Chambers, Matt Fryatt
Booked: Patrick Kisnorbo 54
Goals: Steven Howard 11, Barry Hayles 85
Coventry City: Dimitrios Konstantopoulos, Elliott Ward, Gary Borrowdale, Ben Turner, Kevin Thornton (Liam Davis 78), Michael Hughes, Christopher Birchall (Robbie Simpson 38), Isaac Osbourne, Leon Best (Kevin Kyle 71), Dele Adebola, Michael Mifsud
Subs not used: Robert Page, Lee Hildreth
Attendance: 23905
Referee: Mr M Atkinson
Teamtalk
Steve Howard and Barry Hayles marked their home debuts with a goal a piece to give a new-look Leicester side a 2-0 home win over Coventry.
Howard, who along with Hayles represented six January signings in Ian Holloway's squad, opened the scoring with his first Foxes goal after 11 minutes before Hayles followed suit four minutes from time at the Walkers Stadium.
Michael Hughes lost possession on the edge of his own 18-yard box. Iain Hume threaded the ball behind the left side of Coventry's defence for Howard, whose low left-foot shot went through Dimi Konstantopoulos' legs at the near post.
Substitute Hayles opened his account when he capitalised on a defensive mistake by Ben Turner to race clear and slide the ball underneath the advancing Konstantopoulos.
The giant Greek got a hand on the shot but the ball trickled over the line to give Leicester their first win of 2008 and edge them away from the relegation zone.
Holloway made six changes to the side that went out of the FA Cup at Southampton - handing debuts to four new players.
Ben Alnwick replaced Paul Henderson in goal while there were also starts for Hungarian wingers Zsolt Laczko and Gabor Bori.
The newest arrival Matt Oakley, who joined on a three-and-a-half year deal from Derby on Friday, lined up in midfield alongside Stephen Clemence who returned from a one-match ban.
Hayles, who like Howard signed on January 1, had to settle for a place on the bench.
Howard's goal was reward for the hosts bright start after two chances had fallen to Laczko inside the opening five minutes.
Laczko headed Richard Stearman's right-wing cross wide before the Hungarian got himself into another good position soon after.
Hume crossed from the right-hand side but as Laczko ran across his marker at the near post, he could not keep his shot down and the ball sailed over the crossbar.
Holloway's side nearly undid their early work by gifting Coventry an equaliser after 15 minutes.
Dele Adebola's flick header from a long clearance looked harmless, but Patrick Kisnorbo and Alnwick left the ball to each other on the edge of the area and allowed Leon Best to nip in.
Alnwick recovered enough to thwart Best but the ball broke to Adebola, who with the goal gaping rolled his shot against the outside of the post.
Laczko was the most impressive of Leicester's new signings and he continued to cause Coventry problems after the break.
He created a shooting opportunity for himself immediately after the restart with a weaving run down the left wing before cutting inside and flashing an angled drive across the face of the goal.
He would later receive a standing ovation from the Foxes faithful when he was substituted for Hayles in the 81st minute.
Turner would have been disappointed not to test Alnwick soon after from Kevin Thornton's corner.
Thornton, making is first start of the season for Coventry in place of suspended captain Michael Doyle, delivered a perfectly-measured cross but Turner did not get enough on the ball and glanced his header wide.
Konstantopoulos kept Coventry in the game on two occasions in the space of as many minutes just after the hour mark.
He got down well to push Clemence's half-volley away from the bottom corner and around the post before smartly smothering Bori's deflected effort from the edge of the box.
Clemence went close again in the 72nd-minute when another half-volley, this time from the right-hand side of the area, whistled narrowly wide of the far post.
Leicester finally sealed all three points through Hayles in the 86th minute.
CCFC
Coventry went down by two goals to nil after a disappointing display at the Walkers Stadium.
Steve Howard netted early in the tie, while substitute Barry Hayles made it 2-0 late on as a new-look Leicester side dominated against a below par Sky Blues.
The home side started brightly and City had two lucky escapes in the opening five minutes as Leicester's new Hungarian midfielder Zsolt Lacko - one of five new arrivals at the Walkers Stadium to be named in the starting line-up - wasted two superb chances to give his team the lead.
Firstly he headed wide from eight yards out with no City defender to be seen, before he blazed a 15-yard shot well over the bar.
But it only took until the eleventh minute before Leicester took the lead, January signing Steve Howard slotting his shot through Dimi Konstantopoulos' legs after he was played through by the impressive Laczko to give the Foxes a deserved one-goal advantage.
The Sky Blues could and should have been level in the 15th minute when Leon Best nicked in to win a throughball ahead of Foxes new keeper Alnwick but when the ball fell to Dele Adebola his shot hit the foot of the post and went wide.
But on the whole the Sky Blues were just not at the races in a first half predominantly dominated by Ian Holloway's charges. At times City were simply unable to get the ball for any amount of time and could have been further behind had their opponent's other Hungarian import Gabor Bori not shot over the crossbar with 35 on the clock.
Towards the end of a poor opening period for City, Iain Dowie was forced into a change as Chris Birchall - making his first City start of the season - hobbled off to be replaced by Robbie Simpson.
The Sky Blues were guilty of giving the ball away with alarming regularity during the first 45 minutes and the opening exchanges of the second half indicated that nothing had changed.
But when Mifsud got a rare opportunity to utilise his explosive pace down the right flank, he won a free-kick and Simpson should have done better with a free header from Kev Thornton's delivery - his effort going harmlessly wide.
City were looking more useful as an attacking outfit but Konstantopoulos had to get down smartly to a Matt Oakley volley in the 64th minute, tipping the former Derby midfielder's shot around the post as it bounced awkwardly in front of him. The Greek keeper than produced another good save from Iain Hume to keep the Sky Blues in it.
With just under 20 minutes remaining Kevin Kyle replaced Best up front although it was the Foxes who were continuing to do the majority of the pressing, threatening to double their lead and kill the tie off. Liam Davis came on for Thornton in what was Iain Dowie's final switch - the livewire midfielder having had a quiet afternoon.
Ian Holloway made his only switch of the game with ten minutes left on the clock, bringing on another of his new signings, Barry Hayles and it was veteran striker who made it 2-0 to Leicester in the 85th minute, taking advantage of a defensive error by Ben Turner who slotted the ball past Konstantopoulos and into the back of the net, despite Turner's best efforts to track back and clear off the line.
4thegame
Leicester City's new strikeforce combined to blow away Coventry City and extend their unbeaten run against their M59 rivals to nine games.
The Foxes tore into their opponents from the start and were rewarded on 11 minutes when Michael Hughes was hustled out of possession to allow Ian Hume to feed Steve Howard, who thumped home an angled shot through the keeper's legs from six yards out.
Manager Ian Holloway gave Walkers Stadium debuts to five new faces, but fears that the revamped side would take time to gel were comprehensively dismissed as the East Midlanders dominated their neighbours from start to finish.
Coventry threatened just once throughout the game when they were gifted the chance of an equaliser on 15 minutes when a misunderstanding between on loan keeper Ben Alnwick and Richard Stearman gave Dele Adebola a clear sight of goal, but Leicester were relieved to see the Coventry striker roll a shot against a post with the goal gaping.
But it was the home side who remained in control with another new boy, Gabor Bori, blasting just over from 18 yards after the Coventry keeper had been forced to punch clear another dangerous cross from Hume.
Leicester had bossed the first half and were quick to resume their offensive after the restart with Hume, Stephen Clemence and Laczko Zsolt all threatening to increase the home side's lead.
Laszcko was a constant threat down Coventry's left all afternoon and he deserved his standing ovation when he made way for Barry Hayles after 80 minutes.
Leicester dominated from start to finish and their superiority was rewarded with five minutes to go when Ben Turner stumbled to allow another new boy, substitute Barry Hayles, to take full advantage to stroke home the Foxes second beyond an unprotected Dimitrios Konstantopoulos.
posted by SkyBlueSnowy at 9:18 am
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