A fifth defeat in a row is obviously bad news but there was something about our second-half display that was uplifting so let’s hope we can carry that into the next few games.
BEFORE
Along with many other fans I’m feeling rather gloomy about our prospects tonight but there are a couple of things that might well help. One is that Ballard should be back in defence and we’ve missed him. The other is that while we’ve lost four games in succession Leicester have also lost their last three so this is probably the best time for us to be playing them. I’d like to see Rusyn and Hemir on together and of course we need to put some crosses in to them, something that didn’t happen much on Saturday. I’ll be at the game in the Upper East Stand and my match prediction is 1-1.
I got the team-news while having my usual pre-match slurp in Fitzy’s and there were two changes with Ballard and Rigg replacing Styles and Mundle, both of whom were on the bench. I was glad to see Rigg starting. Vardy was starting for them. My friends’ match predictions were 2-1 and 1-2.
THE MATCH
I was in my seat around 7.40. The team were warmly welcomed when they emerged and there was a loud rendering of ‘I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You’. There were a lot more empty seats than usual, though.
In the eighth minute we were in trouble as Leicester broke quickly down the left but as a low cross came over O’Nien was in the right spot to flick it away to safety. Two minutes later Patto made too crucial blocks to keep Leicester out but they were looking dangerous down both flanks with the speedy Fatawu being a real threat. We conceded a free-kick near the corner shortly afterwards and although Patto did well to keep a header out, he couldn’t stop the follow-up from Vardy and we were a goal behind. The lad next to me said, “It’s gonna be a long night.” Soon we conceded the first corner and Patto held the ball cleanly when it eventually came across. O’Nien went on a strong run and we won our first corner, on the left, but it came to nothing. It did rouse our flagging spirits I have to say. We were finally enjoying a period of attack and we soon won our second corner that resulted in a strong Hemir effort going narrowly wide.
As we entered the second quarter the crowd were chanting “Red and White Army!” and spirits had improved. In the twenty-seventh Hjelde needlessly gave away a corner and my heart sank as it always does when we concede one but a Leicester shot went well wide and we breathed again. In the thirty-first we had our first effort on target - a Jobe header that Hermansen in goal had well covered. Shortly afterwards Leicester won another corner and the volume level in the stadium went down considerably but it didn’t cause us any problems. Fatawu reminded me of Clarke as he ran our defenders ragged and I wondered if he’d ever play for us again. We were certainly putting the crosses in and the game had been pretty even after we’d survived the shock of that early goal. We conceded another corner in the final minute of the half and it finally ended up safely in Patto’s hands. There were two minutes of added-time and it remained 0-1 as the whistle went. The p.a. at the stadium was completely unintelligible to me so I didn’t know who the young lads were who came on during the break.
As we kicked off again we were still in with a shout but another Leicester goal would surely settle it. Two minutes in, we were setting up a good chance near the edge of their box but Neil was caught in possession when he didn’t see a Leicester player coming. O’Nien was yellow-carded in the fifty-fourth and I think that’s him banned for two matches. Very soon we could see some subs warming up but before they came on we were awarded a free-kick near the right angle of their box. Ekwah took it and it curved straight into Hermansen’s hands. In the fifty-ninth we brought on Aouchiche and Mundle for Ekwah and Hemir, and Mundle wasn’t wasting time as he soon had a shot that wasn’t far wide of the right post. Our fans were roused again when we won a corner on the left that immediately led to one on the right. Things looked even better just afterwards when we burst forward and a Hume shot hit the underside of the bar. We were showing a lot of fight and the crowd responded.
With a quarter of the match left I had a feeling that we were going to nick that equaliser. We were awarded a free-kick just to the left of their box in the seventy-third, in exactly the same spot from which they’d scored, and it led to an on-target Rigg shot that didn’t trouble Hermansen. Rigg was proving a real handful down our right and we really should have played him more often. A strong Hume shot had Hermansen only palming it away and then we won a free-kick right outside the centre of their box. Aouchiche took it and it wasn’t too far over. With about ten minutes to go we made another double switch, bringing on Styles and Rusyn for Jobe and Rigg to much applause. Leicester were wasting time as the final minutes ticked away but we won a corner two minutes from time and our hopes were raised again. Then we won another free-kick in a good position which Hermansen palmed out for a corner.
Four minutes of added-time were announced as we piled in the shots but despite a last gasp penalty shout, we couldn’t get that goal and it ended 0-1. There were boos for the ref at the final whistle and then applause for a spirited performance.
