Leicester City 5 - 3 Bolton Wanderers Match Review
Article by Jonathan Smith
Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers played out an eight goal thriller on Sunday afternoon at the King Power Stadium. Both teams went into the game on the back of 1-0 Boxing day wins with City reclaiming top spot as a result.
City started the game confidently, dominating possession and creating plenty of opportunities. Bolton struggled to string two passes together in the early exchanges, regularly gifting the ball back to the home side, so it was no surprise when Leicester took the lead in the 5th minute. Danny Drinkwater drilled the ball past Andy Lonergan from just outside the box and his strike went in off the post.
Bolton equalised ten minutes later with their first meaningful attack. Andre Moritz guided the ball home for his 4th goal of the season and it only took another five minutes for Wanderers to take an unlikely lead. Predictably, it was a former Fox who scored for the visitors. Jermaine Beckford marked his return to the King Power Stadium with a neat finish past Kasper Schmeichel.
Leicester got themselves back in the game eight minutes before half time through Frenchman Anthony Knockaert. A lovely dinked ball to the back post, delivered by Lloyd Dyer, left Knockaert with the simple task of heading home from a few yards out. It seemed like it might be one of those days for the hosts when Bolton took the lead for a second time minutes later. Andre Moritz grabbed another with questions being asked about the quality of City’s defending.
Thankfully, Leicester managed to equalise before half time after Paul Konchesky’s shot found its way in via a deflection off a Bolton defender. It brought an end to an eventful first half. The second half took a bit longer to get going with the first real chance coming in the 64th minute. Knockaert’s free kick clattered the post and Liam Moore missed an opportunity to score on the rebound. Ten minutes later, City were awarded a penalty after Jamie Vardy was brought down in the box by Lonergan. The former Preston ‘keeper denied his old team mate, David Nugent, from the spot. It was Nugent’s second penalty miss of the season and the 10th spot kick that City have won in the league; Vardy winning four of them.
Leicester didn’t have to wait long to make it 4-3. Lloyd Dyer’s blistering run down the left was finished in style for his 8th goal in all competitions this season. With a minute left to play, substitute Gary Taylor-Fletcher put the icing on the cake with his first goal for the club. It was the first time City had scored five goals in a league game since the first match of 2013 when they battered Huddersfield 6-1.
Leicester go in to 2014 at the top of the Championship and four points clear of Derby in second place. Next up is Millwall away on New Year’s day. It’s important that City don’t take their foot off the gas as we saw last season how quickly things can change. Four league wins on the bounce in January was followed by one win in thirteen Championship fixtures. If we can avoid a similar slump then promotion is a real possibility.
© e-Football 2013 All rights reserved no part of this document or this website may be reproduced without consent of e-Football
Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers played out an eight goal thriller on Sunday afternoon at the King Power Stadium. Both teams went into the game on the back of 1-0 Boxing day wins with City reclaiming top spot as a result.
City started the game confidently, dominating possession and creating plenty of opportunities. Bolton struggled to string two passes together in the early exchanges, regularly gifting the ball back to the home side, so it was no surprise when Leicester took the lead in the 5th minute. Danny Drinkwater drilled the ball past Andy Lonergan from just outside the box and his strike went in off the post.
Bolton equalised ten minutes later with their first meaningful attack. Andre Moritz guided the ball home for his 4th goal of the season and it only took another five minutes for Wanderers to take an unlikely lead. Predictably, it was a former Fox who scored for the visitors. Jermaine Beckford marked his return to the King Power Stadium with a neat finish past Kasper Schmeichel.
Leicester got themselves back in the game eight minutes before half time through Frenchman Anthony Knockaert. A lovely dinked ball to the back post, delivered by Lloyd Dyer, left Knockaert with the simple task of heading home from a few yards out. It seemed like it might be one of those days for the hosts when Bolton took the lead for a second time minutes later. Andre Moritz grabbed another with questions being asked about the quality of City’s defending.
Thankfully, Leicester managed to equalise before half time after Paul Konchesky’s shot found its way in via a deflection off a Bolton defender. It brought an end to an eventful first half. The second half took a bit longer to get going with the first real chance coming in the 64th minute. Knockaert’s free kick clattered the post and Liam Moore missed an opportunity to score on the rebound. Ten minutes later, City were awarded a penalty after Jamie Vardy was brought down in the box by Lonergan. The former Preston ‘keeper denied his old team mate, David Nugent, from the spot. It was Nugent’s second penalty miss of the season and the 10th spot kick that City have won in the league; Vardy winning four of them.
Leicester didn’t have to wait long to make it 4-3. Lloyd Dyer’s blistering run down the left was finished in style for his 8th goal in all competitions this season. With a minute left to play, substitute Gary Taylor-Fletcher put the icing on the cake with his first goal for the club. It was the first time City had scored five goals in a league game since the first match of 2013 when they battered Huddersfield 6-1.
Leicester go in to 2014 at the top of the Championship and four points clear of Derby in second place. Next up is Millwall away on New Year’s day. It’s important that City don’t take their foot off the gas as we saw last season how quickly things can change. Four league wins on the bounce in January was followed by one win in thirteen Championship fixtures. If we can avoid a similar slump then promotion is a real possibility.
© e-Football 2013 All rights reserved no part of this document or this website may be reproduced without consent of e-Football
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