Leicester City 1 – 3 Bristol City…………….. Stunning strikes get City back on track
By By Sean Beynon
Two stunning goals gave Bristol City three much-needed points at the Walkers Stadium to end their run of five matches without a win.
First Ivan Sproule skipped past four Leicester defenders on a storming run before slotting past the keeper. Just as City’s travelling support thought things couldn’t get any better, Cole Skuse fired in from more than 30 yards.
As City continued their grip on the game in the second half, Evander Sno slotted home after a superb City break-away to secure the win. Matty Fryatt’s late consolation was of no consequence. This was a vintage away performance, which lifts City to eighth in the table.
Sproule, in particular, was scintillating. In only his third start of the season, he tore down the wing and through the middle. He was one of two changes, with Bradley Orr returning from injury and Marvin Elliott and Lee Johnson missing out. That left the visitors with pace to burn up front, as Danny Haynes joined Sproule in support of Nicky Maynard.
All of City’s starting eleven can be proud of their performances. The defence rebuffed virtually every Leicester attack, and a midfield of Paul Hartley, Sno and Skuse dominated.
Leicester started the sharpest, making four changes to the side that were thumped 5-1 by Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Chances were at a premium though, with neither keeper put under any pressure early on.
The first real opportunity came on 15 minutes, with Maynard denied by former City keeper Chris Weale who gathered the striker’s effort on the second attempt. Leicester were then denied a strong penalty shout when Martyn Waghorn went to ground after a challenge from Dean Gerken.
But it was Sproule who set the game alight. He had already tested Leicester’s defence with his pace. Never afraid to run with the ball, he has been criticised in the past for his lack of end-product. There were no such complaints this evening, as his finish gave Weale no chance. Skuse’s thunder-bolt doubled the lead ten minutes later, delighting the 500 City fans who had made the trip.
City kept pressing, while there was little to trouble Gerken at the other end. Leicester had a second — and more optimistic — penalty shout denied when they claimed Jamie McCallister had handled in the box. There was little, though, to show why Leicester deserved to be fourth in this ultra-competitive league.
City started just as strongly after the break. Sno put Sproule through again, but Weale came out smartly and smothered his effort. For Leicester, Waghorn beat the off-side trap but could only fire his shot over the bar. Matty Fryatt, Leicester’s top-scorer, was bought on with a quarter of the game remaining. He galvanised Leicester for a moment, and set-up Paul Gallagher who shot wide.
A third penalty shout for a handball in the box was rebuffed, and City broke in a flash. The impressive Skuse, another City player with sparkling pace, tore at a back-tracking Leicester defence. His perfectly timed pass went straight into the path of an overlapping Sno. The Dutchman who had been putting in a superb shift in central midfield finished well with his left foot to seal the victory.
To compound Leicester’s appalling evening, Waghorn was shown a straight red card after a ludicrous late tackle on McCallister.
Leicester’s late consolation frustrated City’s defence. Fryatt beat Jamie McCombe with his pace, which left a furious Gerken to pick the ball out of the back of his net. Looking at the replays, Gerken might feel he should have come off his line to try to remove the danger.
This was just the fillip the Robins needed, and they head to Doncaster on Saturday with renewed confidence.
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