Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink wasted a glorious opportunity to salvage a point for
Leeds with an injury-time penalty miss at Filbert Street.
Garry Parker had put Leicester in front from the spot seconds before
half-time, after Gunnar Halle held back Emile Heskey.
But Hasselbaink failed to follow Parker's example, blasting his spotkick well
wide in the dying seconds after Spencer Prior was adjudged to have handled the
ball in the area.
The home crowd felt justice had been done, with City having only themselves to
blame for not converting at least one of the many chances they created in the
second half.
In the end, though, they were lucky to hold on for their first home League win
since October and give their fading European hopes a massive boost.
Parker rolled back the years to turn in a vintage performance in midfield and
the 32-year-old capped an outstanding individual display with the only goal of
the game to lift Leicester to within two points of Leeds.
City's failure to seal the game meant that new signing Theo Zagorakis had to
be content with a three-minute appearance as a substitute after his move from
PAOK Salonika.
The Greece captain completed a £750,000 deal this week, but City boss Martin
O'Neill made just one enforced change from the side who defeated Manchester
United last week.
Skipper Steve Walsh was substituted with a groin injury at Old Trafford and
Prior, his replacement there, was needed again after Walsh failed to recover in
time.
Dutch central defender Robert Molenaar was ruled out by Leeds after he failed
to recover from a knee injury sustained during the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
With South African international Lucas Radebe away preparing for the African
Nations Cup, Halle filled the central defensive vacancy alongside David
Wetherall and midfielder Alfie Haaland was fit to play after a foot injury.
Leeds had the better of the opening exchanges, Rodney Wallace taking advantage
of some hesitation by Matt Elliott to curl a shot just wide and Hasselbaink
almost getting a vital touch to David Hopkin's deflected shot.
But it was Leicester who came closest to opening the scoring on two occasions
within the space of two minutes.
Leeds keeper Nigel Martyn attempted to collect Parker's freekick, but was
beaten to the ball by Elliott.
A scrambled clearance came back to the City centre-half and his shot
wasgoalbound, until Martyn did well to gather at the second attempt as he dashed
back to make his ground.
Leicester then produced the move of the game. Parker fed Robbie Savage down
the right, he evaded Gary Kelly's lunging challenge and put over an excellent
cross that Tony Cottee steered just wide with a diving header.
Kasey Keller had just one save to make in the first half, gathering
comfortably low down at his near post from Kelly's well-worked freekick.
Kelly was then pressed into service at the other end as he blocked Muzzy
Izzet's goalbound shot in front of keeper Martyn.
Leicester finally broke the deadlock just before half-time. Halle held back
Heskey as he tried to control Cottee's flick-on near the penalty spot and
referee Neale Barry had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, from where Parker
gave Martyn no chance with a thumping drive.
Leeds began their search for an equaliser in the second half brightly, Hopkin
driving over Keller's crossbar on 50 minutes after the visitors' best spell of
pressure.
But Leicester stepped up a gear and almost doubled their lead six minutes
later. Elliott headed down Parker's corner for Cottee to swivel and hit a volley
that Martyn did well to hold on to.
George Graham's side lacked the necessary guile to break down a typically
organised Leicester defence and Hopkin was again given little option to shoot
from long range, this time dragging his effort wide of the far post.
And for all Leeds' effort it was City who could have had the game wrapped up
just after the hour.
Savage's first-time ball found Parker galloping through the middle and it sat
up perfectly for the midfielder to lob Martyn, but his shot dribbled agonisingly
wide of the far post.
Savage then almost grabbed the glory himself with a stinging shot that Martyn
could only push away. Steve Guppy followed up, but his tame effort was turned
away by the keeper at his near post.
There was still time for Leeds to threaten an equaliser, however, Hopkin
splitting the defence wide open to send Harry Kewell racing clear.
The young Aussie outstripped the cover, but his shot found the sidenetting,
before Hasselbaink contrived to miss from the spot to gift City a League double
over Leeds.
Teams
Leicester: Keller, Savage (Zagorakis 87), Guppy, Kaamark,
Elliott, Prior, Izzet, Lennon, Parker, Cottee, Heskey.
Subs Not Used: Arphexad, Campbell, Wilson, Fenton.
Booked: Elliott, Guppy.
Goals: Parker 44 pen.
Leeds: Martyn, Kelly, Robertson, Haaland, Wetherall,
Wallace (Maybury 86), Hasselbaink, Ribeiro (McPhail 86), Hopkin,
Halle, Kewell.
Subs Not Used: Beeney, Bowyer, Matthews.
Booked: Robertson, Kewell, Kelly, Wetherall, Wallace.
Att: 21,244
Ref: N S Barry (Scunthorpe).
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