Source: Telegraph
Leicester City 0 Newcastle United 0: match report
Newcastle United's ascent back towards the top flight has at times appeared utterly seamless but turbulence has suddenly gripped them. [LNB]The Championship does not accommodate brittleness and the leaders, contending with a chasing pack smelling weaknesses, have not been convincing of late. Here they laboured against 10-man Leicester City, who displayed greater imagination and vigour and deserved more than a draw. [LNB] Related ArticlesChampionship tableTelegraph player raterChampionship fixturesLeeds rejected £1.8m bid for BeckfordNewcastle snap up Manchester United's Danny SimpsonSport on television'We were the better side. Maybe that's me being biased. We believed in ourselves. We're disappointed we could not win,' said a downtrodden Leicester manager Nigel Pearson. [LNB]His side were sprightlier, their 4-2-3-1 exuding a fluency which belied their recent travails and tumble from the play-off positions. Their interchanges around the Newcastle box were slick and penetrative. Newcastle could do with the trickery of a Victor Moses. [LNB]They head the table but they were given no opportunity to set the standard here. Wayne Routledge, acquired from QPR for his pace and fleet-footedness, was smothered from an abrasive game littered with thundering tackles. [LNB]The first clear chance did not arrive until the 23rd minute when Martyn Waghorn played in Andy King, who found Matt Fryatt. His shot was palmed over by Steve Harper. [LNB]Leicester excelled at finding pockets of space. Matt Oakley, spearheading an attacking three, engineered a yard and almost found Fryatt but Harper, dashing from his goal-line, cleared the danger. [LNB]Newcastle struggled to exert any control before a momentum-swinging sending off encouraged them. Richie Wellens, already booked for raising his boot on Alan Smith, received a second yellow card after tugging back Routledge as he sped into the Leicester half. It was professional neglect. After all, the danger was minimal. [LNB]Leicester, though, were undaunted. There was little room to manoeuvre when Fryatt picked up possession on halfway but he slalomed his way past Michael Williamson and Smith like an Olympic downhill skier, gliding into the area, before thudding a shot against Patrick Van Aanholt. [LNB]Newcastle were not galvanised a man up. They were susceptible to players running at them and Leicester's verve intensified. Kevin Nolan headed Van Aanholt's cross over, yet the visitors were underwhelming in all areas. [LNB]Berner escaped a second yellow card when he clattered into Routledge but referee Andre Marriner, enduring taunts of 'you're not fit to referee' from the Leicester faithful, refused to brandish another red card. [LNB]Cheers greeted Nolberto Solano, once instigating Newcastle attacks, when he came on but he failed to inspire a victory his handicapped side warranted with a confident, spirited performance. [LNB]Match details[LNB]Leicester City (4-2-3-1): Weale; Morrison, Brown, Hobbs, Berner; Wellens, King; Waghorn (Howard 71), Oakley, Gallagher (Dyer 66); Fryatt (Solano 84) Subs: Nielson, McGivern, Logan, N'Guessan. Bookings: Wellens, Berner, Oakley Sent off: WellensNewcastle United (4-4-1-1): Harper; Taylor, Williamson, Coloccini, Van Aanholt; Routledge, Smith (Ranger 62), Butt, Guthrie; Nolan (Pancrate 75); Carroll. Subs: Hall, Lovenkrands, Gutierrez, Krul (gk), Kadar. Bookings: Williamson [LNB]
