Birmingham 2 City 0
Leicester City's recent unbeaten run came to an abrupt halt in a disappointing performance at struggling Birmingham City. The manner of the 0-2 defeat raised serious doubts about the ability of the current squad and management to sustain an effective Championship promotion challenge.
As Andy King had recovered from the back injury that kept him out of the recent Wales internationals, it was little surprise that the starting eleven was unchanged from that in the win over Derby some fifteen days previously. However, given the impact made by the substitutes who appeared during that game, it was something of a shock that none were able to secure a place on the bench this time around.
A minute's applause, backed by players and fans from both teams, was held before the game for recently-deceased young charity fundraiser Harry Moseley, a resident of Birmingham. His family were present to witness the tribute, and were clearly moved by the appreciation of the crowd for his work.
With St Andrews barely half-full, due in part to the high ticket prices and live terrestrial TV coverage, the opening minutes were extremely subdued. The first shot came after six minutes, a tame effort from home winger Chris Burke which Kasper Schmeichel gathered easily. The visitors responded with a long-range drive from Matt Mills which flew harmlessly over the bar.
Birmingham almost took the lead with a set-piece after 14 minutes when a Jean Beausejour free-kick found Steven Caldwell unmarked in the six-yard box. However the defender could only nod the ball wide when he should at least have tested Schmeichel….
The Foxes then pushed the hosts back with a long spell of pressure, but were unable to make the most of a series of set-pieces. The game, like so many other Leicester away matches of late, lacked rhythm, shape and urgency. However Mills came close to breaking the deadline with a near post shot blocked by keeper Boaz Myhill.
A potential flashpoint erupted after 33 minutes when Beausejour floored Lee Peltier with an ugly studs-up challenge, causing the Leicester defender to require several minutes of treatment. Despite the protests of the visitors, referee Graham Salisbury deemed the offence as merely meriting a yellow card. The impact of this indulgence would be felt later.
The first half meandered to a close with Leicester enjoying the majority of possession, and Yuki Abe being particularly prominent. However the lack of width in the side often meant that creative opportunities were few and far between.
During the interval, extended by five minutes, fourth official Kevin Wright assumed the whistle due to Salisbury sustaining a calf muscle injury. The home side immediately assumed greater urgency, and Beausejour struck the woodwork with a 20-yard screamer.
This wake-up call for the Foxes was not heeded. Two minutes later, Andy King failed to control a loose ball cleanly in his own penalty area. Beausejour seized upon the gift, and then fell theatrically under the slightest of touches from the midfielder. Wright instantly awarded a penalty, and TV evidence vindicated his decision.
The hitherto-anonymous Marlon King took full advantage of his namesake's error, sending Schmeichel from the wrong way to give the home side a barely-deserved lead.
Two minutes later, Wright was faced with another big decision when Peltier was again tripped by Beausejour as he prepared to cross. The home fans held their breath in anticipation of the second yellow card, but to their relief it did not appear.
Instead, after 55 minutes, it was the visitors who were reduced to ten men as Mills caught Gomis with a two-footed challenge while following through a ball-winning tackle. While Wright was undoubtedly correct to issue the red card, the Foxes skipper, among others, wondered why the laws could not have been applied consistently.
The manager reacted to the blow by making a series of substitutions, in which Pantsil, Wellens, Beckford were introduced for Danns, Abe and Vassell. But the side continued to look lacklustre, both individually and collectively.
Eventually, after Schmeichel had denied attempts from Marlon King and Chris Wood to seal the game, the Foxes finally began to show signs of life, with Wellens showing more activity and inspiring hopes of an unlikely equaliser.
In the closing minutes, Andy King caught the studs of home defender Liam Ridgewell in a goalmouth scramble. On this occasion, however, the substitute referee denied the attackers a spot-kick. Three minutes later, Wood broke clear of the visiting defence to round Schmeichel and put the game beyond doubt for Birmingham.
While the Foxes undoubtedly suffered as a result of a series of marginal and questionable decisions, ultimately the blame for this defeat lay with no-one but themselves. The decision to field four central midfielders, and then name two more on the bench, will not go down as among the more inspired of the current regime.
In addition, the lack of ambition and creativity, again disturblngly evident at St Andrews, followed a pattern which has been sadly all too frequent on the road during the past two seasons.
With Leicester now languishing in the bottom-half of the Championship, two wins in the forthcoming home games with bottom-six sides Watford and Millwall are now imperative. However even these will have little impact unless an answer to the continuing malaise afflicting the side away from Filbert Way can urgently be found.
Birmingham (4-4-2): Myhill; Carr (c), Ibanez, Caldwell, Ridgewell; Burke, Fahey, Gomis, Beausejour (Elliott 86); King, Wood (Zigic 90+1).
Unused subs: Doyle, Murphy, Spector.
Booked: Beausejour (32)
Leicester (4-1-2-1-2): Schmeichel; Peltier, Mills (c), Bamba, Konchesky; Abe (Wellens 63); Danns (Pantsil 58), Fernandes; King; Vassell (Beckford 66), Nugent.
Unused subs: Weale, Johnson.
Sent off: Mills (55)
Attendance: 17,102 (1,249 away)
Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire) (Kevin Wright (Cambridgeshire) 46)