Bournemouth 1 City 1
Report by Kate Thompson
Until Bournemouth’s away win against West Ham, I would have been confident of winning this match, but it became clear that it would be arguably the stiffest test so far. Ranieri made one change to the team, bringing in Kante to strengthen the midfield, at the expense of Okazaki who had done nothing wrong. It was hard to criticise this decision, but it became clear as the first half wore on that it wasn’t working.
Vardy was his usual industrious self but balls pumped up to him just came straight back as he had no-one to pass to. Unfortunately, it was a day when those players who have been so effective to date were distinctly off-colour. Mahrez was clattered by the ‘Leicester reject’ Gradel right at the beginning of the game and – apart from scoring from an offside position – contributed nothing. He was quite rightly substituted for the second half and Okazaki was restored to the line-up.
Ranieri said he had got a kick in the back, but it certainly wasn’t from Gradel’s foul, as he went down clutching his thigh! Clearly, Bournemouth had done their homework and there was no service from either flank, as Albrighton also had a poor game and was replaced by the midweek star Dodoo in the 71st minute.
The final substitution was in the 90th minute, when Benalouane replaced De Laet, who had had a torrid time. I can never understand the point of making such late substitutions, but all clubs do it.
The first half was not one to remember. Until Bournemouth scored, we looked quite effective but the goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of the team. Although it was a spectacular goal, an overhead bicycle kick, in truth it could have gone anywhere – I can’t believe he placed it.
After that City were toothless and we couldn’t see an equaliser ever coming. With the change after half-time, City were more effective, although how much was down to their own efforts and how much to the enforced changes for Bournemouth, it is difficult to say. They replaced Daniels at half-time and his replacement only lasted a few minutes before he had a nasty-looking injury which required a stretcher. Finally Gradel, who had been a pest, suffered a similar injury and was replaced half-way through the second half.
City had much more of the play in the second half and Dodoo had a golden opportunity to add to his reputation but sadly mis-kicked. As the clock ticked down Vardy went on a mazy run and was upended in the box – a clear penalty which he took himself and scored, despite the keeper getting a hand to it.
Either team could have taken all three points at the death; Benalouane tackled a Bournemouth player in the box and the fans screamed for a penalty but fortunately it was not given – but we can all quote examples when the opposite was true – and Vardy was fouled for the second time in the box, but again no penalty was given.
To be fair, a draw was a fair result. The referee, Neil Swarbrick, managed to anger both sets of fans! Bournemouth felt they should have had a penalty when Kante fouled someone right on the line but only a free kick was given; having watched the incident several times, I would be hard put to say if it was in or out of the box.
Huth had a rare hissy fit when he fouled Wilson but – again having watched the incident more than once – I couldn’t see that he kicked the ball at the player, to me he just seemed to boot it out for a throw-in. The Bournemouth fans were howling for a red card, but fortunately it was only yellow – on a day when a lot of red cards were handed out in the Premier League. But the two most bizarre decisions both went against Leicester, when the ball was won fairly but Swarbrick chose to give a free kick to Bournemouth, one of them right on the edge of the penalty area.
So far as the players were concerned, too many had a poor game. Drinkwater and King battled hard and the latter got a rare caution, and I liked the look of Kante. Schmeichel had very little to do and Morgan was solid. Schlupp was perhaps the most effective going forward, apart from Vardy, but he did too much moaning at his team-mates for my liking! So we now have an international break – and well done to Jamie for his call-up to the England squad – before another winnable game, at home to Villa.
Bournemouth: Boruc, Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels (Mings 46), Ritchie, O'Kane, Surman, Gradel (Pugh 67), Tomlin, Wilson. Subs not used: MacDonald, Kermorgant, Federici, Distin
Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet (Benalouane 90 +0:37), Huth, Morgan, Schlupp, Drinkwater, King, Mahrez (Okazaki 46), Kante, Albrighton (Dodoo 71), Vardy. Subs not used: Ulloa, Fuchs, Schwarzer, Inler
Attendance: 11,155 Referee: Neil Swarbrick
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation