Bolton 0 City 0
Match Report by Graham Tracey
Leicester failed to score for the first time this season, but will have been pleased to come away with a point and clean sheet from a Bolton side who it should not be forgotten were until recently an established top flight club, and who are now playing to impress their new manager.
It was far from the stereotypical nil-nil, with Kasper Schmeichel and Adam Bogdan the star men with a string of fine saves. And whilst this means we have only taken 1 point from the last 9, we still haven't beaten Bolton since the days before squad numbers and seven substitutes, it remains all to play for at the top, and our performance suggested we should still be there or thereabouts come May.
We dominated the first half hour, with Dyer and Knockaert seeing plenty of the ball, and teeing up Nugent and Drinkwater respectively for powerful first-time strikes parried by Bogdan. Waghorn had a curler touched wide, and we had a string of corners that we could not capitalise on before lastly De Laet skimmed the top of the bar with a cross-cum-shot.
Nugent had an unusually quiet game, but did square up to Matt Mills, suggesting that the £5m flop is not particularly missed by his old team mates. Sadly Mills did not make any of his trademark errors, maybe he will be one of those players who was only crap for City!
The balance of power turned when Konchesky had to leave injured shortly before half-time, with Jeff Schlupp introduced as an unlikely left-back. He acquitted himself superbly in the end, getting forward at every chance at well, but there was a very jittery period either side of the break with the left side of our defence looking inexperienced and out of their depth.
Manchester United loanee Michael Keane was subbed early in the second half as he became a bit of a liability. He looked like a young Matt Heath, but his height is not yet matched by physical strength at his young age. Liam Moore performed more soundly, making you wonder why managers sometimes seem so beholden to Alex Ferguson that they will give a game to whoever he wants to get some match experience. Ditto the brief cameo by lightweight sub striker Lingard.
We were literally saved by Schmeichel several times during this period, most notably with a point blank stop from Lee before half time, and getting down low to deflect a cross shot wide after the break. His passing was also better than our outfield players as our game became ragged, Knockaert and Drinkwater trying in vain time after time to beat players by dribbling.
But to our credit we never gave up trying to win, inspired by Waggy's movement up front. The closest we came was when a short corner routine led to Bogdan making a terrific save at his near post when Knockaert's shot seemed past him. A draw was probably a fair result, and with the keepers on such good form it may have needed something like David Speedie's centre circle goal at Bolton's old Burnden Park to win it.
CITY: Schmeichel 9, De Laet 8, Morgan 8, Keane 4 (Moore 6), Konchesky 5 (Schlupp 8), Dyer 6, King 5, Drinkwater 6, Knockaert 7, Nugent 5, Waghorn 8 (Lingard 5)
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