A second-half strike from Paul Reid earned Brighton a valuable point and kept
Leicester looking nervously over their shoulders at the Coca-Cola Championship
relegation scrap.
A controversial David Connolly penalty put Craig Levein's side ahead in the
34th minute, but after City were reduced to 10 men following Stephen Hughes'
needless dismissal, Reid pounced with 10 minutes remaining to keep Brighton's
survival hopes alive.
Brighton went into the game on the back of six straight defeats, but they gave
the visitors an early scare when striker Adam Virgo skipped past Nikos Dabizas.
Charlie Oatway met Virgo's cross with a diving header which forced former
England goalkeeper Ian Walker into a smart save at his near post.
Brighton then had a penalty shout waved away when Mark McCammon, back in the
side with Gary Hart suspended, went to ground in the area.
It took Leicester 15 minutes to get a foothold in the game, and Patrick
McCarthy hit their first shot at goal straight into the arms of Alan Blayney.
Moments later Connolly tried his luck from long range but Blayney comfortably
dealt with the Irishman's effort.
Dean Hammond provided McCammon with a gilt-edged chance to put the Seagulls
ahead but the former Millwall frontman headed straight at Walker.
McCammon then outfoxed the labouring Dabizas to make room for a shot, but
fired narrowly over the top from an acute angle.
Blayney smothered the ball at Connolly's feet after the striker was played in
by Mark de Vries, but moments later the visitors went ahead.
Referee Mike Thorpe adjudged Dolan to have handled in the area despite a
distinct lack of appeals from the Leicester players, and after the Brighton
protests had subsided Connolly stepped up to send Blayney the wrong way for his
ninth goal of the season.
Walker was forced into a fine save from a stoppage-time Reid volley to keep
City ahead at the interval.
De Vries sliced wide from close range shortly after the restart before the
visitors were reduced to 10 men.
To Levein's dismay Hughes, who had been booked just 10 minutes earlier for a
foul, earned a second yellow and an early bath for kicking the ball away just
after the hour.
Brighton immediately went on the attack and substitute Jake Robinson crossed
for McCammon, who somehow headed over from just four yards out.
But Leicester squandered a chance to put the game out of reach when Dublin saw
a header cleared off the line by Robinson.
Dan Harding planted a header straight at Walker as the hosts poured forward,
and their endeavour was finally rewarded 10 minutes from time.
The Leicester rearguard twice made a hash of clearing from the penalty area
and the ball eventually fell to Reid, who thumped a volley past the outstretched
hand of Walker and into the net.
Teams:
Brighton Blayney, Reid, El-Abd, Butters, Harding,
Dolan (Robinson 60), Oatway, Carpenter, Hammond (Jones 60),
Virgo, McCammon (McPhee 74).
Subs Not Used: Nicolas, Shaaban.
Goals: Reid 80.
Leicester Walker, McCarthy, Dublin, Dabizas, Maybury,
Tiatto (Nalis 73), Gudjonsson, Williams, Hughes, de Vries,
Connolly.
Subs Not Used: Stewart, Kenton, Moore, Hirschfeld.
Sent Off: Hughes (62).
Booked: Hughes, de Vries, Tiatto, McCarthy, Connolly.
Goals: Connolly 34 pen.
Att: 6,638
Ref: M Thorpe (Suffolk).
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