Burnley 0-2 Leicester: Foxes edge closer to promotion
- adamhigginsuk
- Mar 29, 2014
- 7 min read
Finesse: Former Burnley striker David Nugent helped to condemn his old employers to defeat with a sumptuous first-half strike (Picture from FTBPro.com)
LEICESTER City took a giant stride towards Premier League promotion with a deserved victory over second-placed Burnley in the Championship.
David Nugent curled home a delightful opener against his former club ten minutes before half-time.
Anthony Knockaert thumped the crossbar from range while Scott Arfield was denied by Kasper Schmeichel for the Clarets, who lost for the first time in the league at Turf Moor in over a year.
Substitute Chris Wood struck with an unstoppable dipping volley as the Foxes extended their unbeaten league run to 19 games and moved six points clear at the top with a game in hand.
Nigel Pearson's men, who have led the table since Boxing Day and are unbeaten since December 7, face Wigan in midweek before hosting Sheffield Wednesday next Friday night.
They require three more victories to secure a joint-record seventh second-tier title.
The Clarets remain 10 points clear of third-placed QPR despite suffering a first defeat in 17 league matches, stretching back to Boxing Day, after six wins in their previous seven.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche will be concerned by his side's strength in depth after an early injury to the influential Sam Vokes with top scorer Danny Ings and right-back Kieran Trippier already sidelined.
Dyche, who faces former employers Watford in midweek, was also without Dean Marney who started a two-game ban for accruing 10 yellow cards as Michael Kightly returned with Arfield moving centrally to partner David Jones.
Pearson named an unchanged side for the sixth game running with Wood having to be content with a place on the bench despite scoring a late leveller on Tuesday night while French winger Riyad Mahrez, the January signing from Le Havre, was again preferred to Lloyd Dyer.
Burnley knew a fourth straight win, by a two-goal margin, would displace Leicester at the summit while the Foxes were seeking to return to winning ways to re-establish their strangehold on top spot after back-to-back draws against Yeovil and Blackburn.
Both managers illustrated their mutual respect with a warm embrace prior to kick-off but Dyche will have felt aggrieved inside three minutes when an innocuous knee twist for Vokes off the ball led to the 20-goal striker's premature departure.
The 24-year-old Welshman expressed his disappointment when applying ice on the bench and later left the stadium on crutches with the extent of the injury still unclear.
It was a massive blow for the Clarets, who were forced into a change of shape as defender-by-trade David Edgar entered the fray for only his second appearance since December after just eight minutes.
But the hosts tenaciously worked to regain possession when giving the ball away in a lively and bubbly opening between the division’s two frontrunners, who drew 1-1 at the King Power in December.
A fiercely-contested midfield battle unfolded as numerous passes went astray in a cagey and cautious contest.
The Clarets settled well amid the high intensity, however January acquisition Ashley Barnes, on his fourth successive start, was a lonely and frustrated figure in attack.
Comparatively, Leicester offered more in the final third with both full-backs well-advanced to supply width.
Burnley skipper Jason Shackell gave it away to Knockaert, who released Jamie Vardy. The former Fleetwood striker, with nine goals in his previous 13 appearances, embarked on a strong run and powered into the penalty area where Shackell grabbed his arm to tug him back.
It was blindside of referee Chris Foy - a late replacement for the injured Mike Jones - who awarded a corner and was Vardy's last meaningful contribution before picking up a knock which ended his afternoon on 34 minutes.
The setback only inspired the Foxes as replacement Wood played his part in the opening goal within seconds of coming on.
The New Zealand forward burst through, held the ball up and patiently waited for support which arrived in Nugent, who provided the first attempt on goal in the game.
Nugent shifted away from both Edgar and Michael Duff to curl a brilliant effort into the bottom corner from 18 yards for goal number 18 in the Championship this season.
Burnley were not dispirited, though, and roared into life as Kightly turned away from Marcin Wasilewski but ballooned harmlessly over the top from a long Mee throw-in.
Leicester were forced to withstand some pressure but the home fans turned on the officials after their penalty claims were waved away three minutes before the break.
A Jones header struck the arm of Jeffrey Schlupp but was not deemed deliberate by referee Foy before Kightly fired spectacularly over from long range at the end of a high-octane first half.
The Foxes almost doubled their lead four minutes after the break when Mahrez linked up cleverly with Knockaert, who unleashed a swerving 25-yard drive which thumped against the bar.
Burnley came close to a leveller moments later when a stumble from Leicester skipper Wes Morgan let in Arfield but Schmeichel thwarted the former Huddersfield midfielder from an acute angle.
Dyche's deepening injury list grew when Junior Stanislas went off to receive an ice pack on his knee with Ross Wallace introduced just after the hour mark.
The hosts operated conservatively while Leicester sought the killer second goal in a largely even and uneventful second period.
Wood's half-volley from 15 yards missed the crossbar and Schlupp's shot was blocked by Shackell after a Duff error.
Dyche tried to rally his troops from the sidelines but there was no sign of the Clarets getting back into the game as they struggled to break down the Foxes.
And the visitors doubled their lead 12 minutes from time when a laborious mistake from Mee was punished.
The former Manchester City youngster surrendered possession to Knockaert, whose clearance was chased down by Wood.
The ex-West Bromwich Albion forward held off Duff with his physical presence and cracked a 25-yard stunner which flew past Tom Heaton, for a spectacular fourth league goal of the campaign.
Mahrez sprinted forward, checked inside and saw a curler deflected over by Mee as Leicester enjoyed a measure of control.
After Keith Treacy replaced Kightly, a snapshot from Barnes was as good as it got for Burnley in the closing stages as much of their play in the middle of the park lacked penetration in the final third.
The Foxes closed out their 26th win in 38 league games this term and are 15 points clear of Harry Redknapp's third-placed QPR, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Blackpool later in the day.
Three of their next five games are against teams currently in the top six, starting with Wigan at the DW Stadium on Tuesday night.
Burnley, who have been in the top two since mid-December, need 15 points from their final seven matches to seal automatic promotion.
MATCH FACTS:
Leicester have now kept a first clean sheet in four league games.
Both sides have used just 23 different players in the Championship this term.
Burnley have now conceded just 13 goals in their last 20 home league games and 33 in total in the league, the joint-fewest in the division along with Brighton.
Having won their previous five at Turf Moor, it was the first time Burnley were beaten at home in the Championship in 24 games since a 1-0 reverse to Hull on 11 March 2013.
Leicester are unbeaten in the 25 Championship games in which they have scored the opening goal this season.
The Foxes are unbeaten in the last seven meetings with Burnley, winning five, with Burnley’s last win coming in a 3-0 victory at Turf Moor in August 2010.
Leicester have now won on four of their last six visits to Turf Moor.
Burnley had scored at least twice in each of their previous seven matches.
Leicester have now won 32 league meetings between the two sides, compared to 43 for Burnley and 29 draws.
David Nugent took his tally for the season to 20 goals in all competitions and now has six goals in eight appearances against the Clarets since his loan spell at Turf Moor from Portsmouth during the 2009-10 Premier League campaign.
The Foxes boast the best away record in the Championship, winning 12 of their 19 games (picking up 39 points) and unbeaten in the last nine, and are the division’s highest scorers with 72 goals.
Burnley’s tally of four league defeats this season is the lowest out of any side across England’s top four divisions.
Teams:
Burnley (4-4-2): 1 Heaton, 17 Baird, 4 Duff, 5 Shackell (C), 6 Mee, 11 Stanislas (Wallace 62), 14 Jones, 37 Arfield, 19 Kightly (Treacy 79), 9 Vokes (Edgar 8), 30 Barnes.
Subs not used: 12 Cisak (GK), 3 Lafferty, 28 Long, 22 Stock.
Booked: None
Goals: None
Leicester City (4-4-2): 1 Schmeichel, 2 De Laet, 5 Morgan (C), 27 Wasilewski, 15 Schlupp, 24 Knockaert, 4 Drinkwater, 8 James, 26 Mahrez (Hammond 88), 9 Vardy (Wood 34), 35 Nugent (Taylor-Fletcher 72).
Subs not used: 25 Logan (GK), 18 Moore, 10 King, 11 Dyer.
Booked: None
Goals: Nugent (35), Wood (78)
Assists: Wood
Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside) - 8/10
Assistant referees: Robert Merchant and Edward Smart
Fourth Official: Sebastian Stocksbridge (Tyne & Wear)
Attendance: 16,794
Burnley manager Sean Dyche: "I reminded the lads after the game where we are in the league and that it has taken over a year for someone to beat us here. I reminded them of the maximum output and the belief that they put into today. They are all the good things that are going on here at the moment. I think today is the 11th game we've played against the top eight and we've taken 22 points out of those games which is far from bad. The margins were very fine. When you’re up against the top team in the division at the moment the margins are so important. We didn’t fall right on the side of the margins today but that’s not an excuse. They’re a very good side and overall they deserved to win today."
Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson: "I think it was as complete a performance as you could have hoped for in the sense that we dominated proceedings for long, long periods, and in the first half in particular. In the second half we expected a response from them, but we were still able to dictate the tempo. The players worked incredibly hard in a disciplined fashion, which allows the flair players to then come to the party. You've got to have that foundation to work from and to a man, I thought we were very good today. As always, the ball is our friend if we look after it and we've been able to dominate possession in lots of games because we’ve got capable players. Of course if you have the ball more than your opponent then their threat is somewhat negated. That will be how we try to negotiate the rest of the season."
Last updated: 29 March 2014 15:40pm
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