Leicester put their relegation fears to bed with a well-earned Coca-Cola
Championship win over Derby with a goal from David Connolly.
Connolly's goal minutes after half-time was all they had to show for a
dominant performance, but it was all they needed to collect three vital points.
The hosts, without a win in their last five games, made two changes from the
side who lost 2-1 at Sunderland at the weekend, with Gareth Williams and Jordan
Stewart replacing Joey Gudjonsson and Mark De Vries.
Derby began the game looking for their fifth straight win and made only one
change, with striker Paul Peschisolido dropping to the bench in favour of Marco
Reich.
Grzegorz Rasiak shook off a groin problem to take his place in the starting
line-up.
Leicester dominated from the start, and Connolly went close two minutes in
when Danny Tiatto touched down Alan Maybury's cross for the striker to hit a
wicked half-volley which curled just wide of the right post.
Three minutes later, Maybury crossed in for Dion Dublin at the far post, but
Lee Camp easily held the veteran's header.
Stewart then curled in a free-kick which got over the top of the Derby defence
but just eluded Patrick McCarthy at the far post.
It was all Leicester, with Dublin putting a free header over the bar and
Tiatto sending two efforts just wide from the edge of the area.
It took until the 22nd minute for Derby to mount a meaningful attack, with
Reich turning Stewart inside out before cutting inside to fire a low drive wide
of the post.
In the 33rd minute, Maybury cut inside to cross with his left foot, finding
Dublin at the far post where he attempted a spectacular overhead kick which went
just over the bar.
The chances continued to come with Connolly seeing a shot deflected over the
bar and then just failing to get a toe on Maybury's cross with the Derby defence
static.
Raziak's groin injury perhaps caught up with him as he was replaced by
Peschisolido at half-time.
However, the momentum stayed with Leicester and they quickly found the goal
that had eluded them for so long.
With 50 minutes gone, Tiatto did well to keep the ball in on the left wing and
quickly found the run of Connolly, who broke the Derby offside trap to go
one-on-one with Camp and fire the ball between the 'keeper's legs.
That prompted a response from Derby boss George Burley, who introduced Ian
Taylor in place of Adam Boulder to try to inject some life into the Derby
midfield.
They gradually began to rein in Leicester's creative forces but were inventing
little of their own as the chances at both ends dried up.
With a little over 10 minutes left, Tommy Smith's cross found its way to
Taylor unmarked at the far post, but he put an awful effort high and wide.
They then had a glorious chance to level in the 89th minute when Jeff Kenna
took a quick free-kick to Smith who stole in behind the defence, only for Ian
Walker to get a strong hand to his close-range shot and ensure Leicester took
the points.
Teams
Leicester: Walker, Maybury, Kenton, McCarthy, Stewart,
Hughes (Gillespie 85), Williams (Gudjonsson 77), Nalis,
Tiatto (Moore 90), Dublin, Connolly.
Subs Not Used: Heath, Stearman.
Booked: Maybury, Tiatto.
Goals: Connolly 50.
Derby: Camp, Makin, Konjic (Junior 86), Johnson, Kenna,
Bolder (Taylor 54), Bisgaard, Huddlestone, Reich, Smith,
Rasiak (Peschisolido 46).
Subs Not Used: Miller, Mills.
Booked: Peschisolido, Johnson.
Att: 25,762
Ref: A D'Urso (Essex).
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