City 1 Peterborough United 1
Report by Mike King
Travelling along the A47 from the A1, with all the Posh's fans cars making their way to the King Power Stadium, the anticipation was for a good result for the Foxes against a free scoring Posh side, but they do tend to let a lot of goals in, making the fans happy depending upon which team you are supporting! After the disappointment at Hull the previous week with the late goal, the Leicester faithful were hoping the City were going to start a good run against the Posh, with bottom of the table Doncaster, out-of-form Ipswich and Portsmouth to follow, with back-to-back wins now essential if a play-off place is to be secured, so far not experienced this season.
The new Owners laid on a Winter Wonderland outside the ground in the car park, and with the number of children in attendance, probably due to a good ticket deal for the day, it was a good gesture and seemed very popular, with long queues for all the free entertainment.
Manager Pearson had to make changes with Mills suspended after his red card against Hull. Would the popular Tunchev make his season's debut after more injuries or would St Ledger deputise for Mills? The latter was selected, Tunchev not even making the bench, with Gallagher starting on the right of mid-field. Goals from the Foxes 2 strikers were now becoming a rarity as the reliance of late was for the mid-field and defenders to score. Beckford has to up his game to get anywhere near the 20 a season we were all expecting after dropping down from the Prem. The Posh had the tall Lewis in goal with the dangerous Boyd and free kick specialist McCann in mid-field.
With the City attacking the Kop first half, the game started briskly, with the Foxes soon getting the upper hand, the ball pinging out wide to Dyer and Gallagher, both with good crosses going into the box, but no one there to take advantage, the Posh defence clearing the ball relatively easily, but giving the Foxes several corners in a row. However, corners these days never seem to bring the rewards as they used to in the Walsh, Taggart and Elliott days, with Bamba meekly heading wide twice.
Claims for a penalty were waived away by referee Taylor despite claims from the players and crowd, and then another penalty claim as the keeper seemed to pull back Nugent. Nothing. Then Beckford, who cannot head the ball to save his life (he never really challenges for clearances in the air), headed wide from 5 yards when well placed with the net at his mercy. Then a powerful Nugent header from a Gallagher cross looked like the opening goal but keeper Lewis turned in mid-air to push the ball wide for yet another corner and a good save.
At last the visitors attacked, as it had all been one way, with 4 Posh players racing ahead against 2 City defenders, but Bamba, who was having a good first half, saved the day. However, shortly afterwards, a Bamba back pass was short to Schmeichel as Taylor looked like scoring, but Schmeichel spread himself in the air to save the day. At the other end, Wellens put Beckford wide on the right and his fierce shot from a narrow angle hit the post, going across the goal and was cleared. As half time approached, the City players were trying hard to break the deadlock but to no avail.
The Posh replaced Taylor with Tunnicliffe at half-time, pushing ex City player Tomlin (can't remember him!) up front alongside Sinclair. The game continued as the first half with the Foxes dominant but would a goal arrive? Yes it would, as after 10 minutes, a corner on the left was taken short by Gallagher to Nugent, but as it seemed to have failed, Gallagher received the ball 10 yards out and his shot found the net via the post. Time for an avalanche!
However, the visitors weathered the expected storm and slowly gained in confidence, with few problems for the Posh defence as the game drifted along. The City crowd were demanding a second goal to secure the 3 points but not a lot was happening. A limping Gallagher was replaced by Danns after 70 minutes, but then disaster in the 72nd minute. A break down the Posh's right by Sinclair ended with a cross into the danger zone that found Tomlin who calmly headed home past a diving Schmeichel. City's central defenders went missing!
Pearson then decided to change the 2 City forwards with 15 minutes to go, as Nugent and Beckford had little support or threat, with Howard and Schlupp coming on. The inevitable happened with long balls hit from the back, but with little accuracy finding Howard, the Posh's defence coped well with the aerial onslaught. Infact, the visitors nearly took all 3 points with 5 minutes to go, as a cross into the Foxes 6 yard box was saved by Schmeichel, but the City defence failed to clear with Schmeichel going out of his goal, but luckily no Peterboro' forward was on hand to stab the ball home as it pinged around in the danger area. The game petered out for a draw, with boos echoing around the King Power stadium at the final whistle due to the disappointment of the City fans.
Against Blackpool, the Foxes seemed to have turned the corner but, as with all the season so far, they cannot put a good winning run together, and it's hard to find out why. Nugent and Beckford were poor and posed little threat to a leaking defence. Dyer was not in the game second half and King was in his shell all game. Defence was okay but St Ledger worries when he is on the ball and his distribution is in the Mills league, but Konchesky gives everything for the cause and looks class.
As above, Pearson has to start earning his salary and if he doesn't get the team performing consistently soon, that big fat bonus for obtaining a Premier League place will be just a dream, but let us all hope Father Christmas has several 3 pointers in his sack over the next few games, although 9th is a good position to be in to mount a challenge, but several other teams on 30 points and near us will all have the same ambitions.
City: Schmeichel, Peltier, Bamba, St Ledger, Konchesky, Gallagher (Danns), King, Wellens (Capt.), Dyer, Nugent (Howard), Beckford (Schlupp) Subs not used: Weale, Fernandes.
Peterborough: Lewis, Alcock, Zakuani, Bennett, Rowe, Tomlin, Frecklington (Newell), McCann (Capt.) (Kearns), Boyd, Taylor (Tunnicliffe), Sinclair Subs not used: Jones, Thompson.
Referee: A. Taylor
Crowd: 25,948
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