City were only able to contemplate a second half comeback thanks to Neil Alexander's first half heroics as City were pulverised, overwhelmed and embarrassing to watch. If they were 3-0 behind at the interval, nobody could have had grounds for complaint. By the end, City could have won it as Leicester were reduced to 10 men with Nicolas Dabizas sent off but they seemed determined to settle for what they had.
The point was enough to send fans into raptures at final whistle and head home feeling happy and with belief that we can now survive. We're a point ahead of Brighton occupying the final relegation berth, level with Crewe but climbing one place above them virtue of a goal difference that is worth an extra point over both those sides. In other words, with three games each to go, unless Brighton get three more points than whatever City obtain and Crewe get 2 more points than us, then we will avoid relegation.
The Bluebirds last visit to Leicester was 23 years ago this week. The last time I went there was the year before, as a teenager, as we were walloped 3-0 in the FA Cup. We were also well beaten last time there in the league. Rumour has it that City were offered the Foxes young strikers of Gary Lineker and Alan Smith a couple of years earlier at a bargain price too but still more than we were willing to pay. The sides have been poles apart ever since.
City's perilous league position, a visit to Leicester after all those years and the curious attraction that seeing City visit a new stadium has to some saw a near 1,500 support set off mid to late afternoon from South Wales, over half opting to travel by coach.
Ours didn't leave The Lansdowne until 3:30 and by the time we got to the top of Llandaff Road, we wondered if we would ever make it. It barely made it over the innocuous Llandaff Hill traffic lights, low gears with no guts, gave us a journey where we literally crawled up small hills all the way, so slow that everything on the road - HGV's, Tankers, old ladies with shopping bags, Sinclair C5's - would take us uphill and then we'd get them back downhill or on the straight. Even Paula Radcliffe squatting for a pee would have been faster. Nearing Leicester, we were passing, then being passed by, a Walkers Crisps lorry and speculated it was their team bus.
Add in roadworks, problems along the M42 and atrocious early evening Midlands weather and we the last coach to arrive at the M1 rendezvous point to meet police - less than 2 miles from the ground - but the first to leave behind it. The police escort, however, was even slower than our coach going uphill. Six motorbikes, cars and vans seemed to want to go no faster than 10mph and got us to Walker Stadium with little more than 5 minutes to kick-off.
Was Walker Stadium impressive? Yes it was but compared to Ninian Park, everything's impressive! Situated near the City Centre but in its own area, it was the all too familiar design we see with new grounds from the outside - white metal frames, concrete and glass offices and shops. However it was noticeably not built as high as high as other grounds.
Once inside, it became apparent why. Most new grounds seem to be built two, sometimes three, tiers high. Walker Stadium was basically bowl-shaped with one tier of seating but which went back some distance, not dissimilar to American college-style stadia. I didn't notice any big screens but you couldn't miss a huge Walker's Crisps banner running all around the roof.
Our away section was packed in a corner section around one of the corner flags, Leicester's support was heavily populated to one side and behind the opposite goal and behind the other goal but sparse along the other side of the pitch. The crowd was 21,336 but you didn't feel it was quite that big because of the way the empty areas we could see and the complete lack of noise or atmosphere from home fans too.
Part of the reason for the damp home atmosphere can only be because of insistence that they all sat down. Stewards and police seemed to be ensuring it was observed, indeed one or two seemed to be removed if they did and all were taunted with "sit down and behave yourselves" chants by us in an area where everyone seemed to be standing.
Leicester have had all their football in the top two divisions but have struggled recently. When they hit administration two years ago, there were no penalties like today and they craftily had debts wiped out then returned to the Premiership. They were immediately relegated and, this time, have found it tough back in the Championship. Whilst never truly in the relegation "race", they have uncomfortably hovered just a couple of places and couple of points and only enjoyed FA Cup success as they were quarter-finalists which gave them a fixture backlog, this was one of those "catch up" games.
Managed by Craig Leveine (who replaced Micky Adams and a certain Alan Cork), they were only three points ahead of us even though they had lost 6 games fewer. Too many draws (this was their 20th of the season and their 2nd with us) has never seen them get anywhere. Their previous 7 games before us were 1 win, 5 draws and a loss which came last weekend at home to Graham Kavanagh's Wigan.
Leveine declared the game in local media as Leicester's most important of the season as they needed a result to avoided being sucked into the relegation frame and set his stall out with three personnel changes and tactical changes. His side were Walker, Kenton-Dabizas-McCarthy-Maybury, Hughes-Williams-Nalis-Tiatto, Connolly-Dublin.
Ian Walker between the sticks is better known to us as the hapless ex-England keeper. Dion Dublin who has played centre half for much of the season was pushed into attack with David Connolly and there were other familiar names with Nikos Dabizas, Danny Tiatto (a one-time City target) and subs including Keith Gillespie and Subs included Keith Gillespie and Marc de Vries.
For City, the 72 hours between the Preston game and tonight were as uneventful as always. Just the small matter of players called in for extra training. "If Lennie hadn't asked us, we would have asked to do it ourselves", Ginge Collins told the media. Yeah, right. And then Kim Walker became the 3rd Director to leave the Board in 6 months. Not because of rifts with Sam, disillusionment with club (lack of) developments, unhappiness at Peter Risdale's appointment as the grapevine has it but so, "I can spend the last two games sitting with my Dad". Like Paul Guy who resigned before Christmas, he also wanted to spend more time with his family. Ah bless, don't you just love politician answers?
Why hasn't anyone at our club got the balls to tell the truth for once and let us know what's going on? I'm assuming Walker was gagged but in a season characterised by lies, broken promises and misinformation from the club, he'd have been better off saying nothing than come out with this sort of nonsense because it does nobody any favours in the present climate.
Lennie had to make changes post-Preston and the most pressing need was in central midfield. Willie Boland was back for the battle but when Langley was expected by many to make way, it was Joe Ledley instead. On the bench, Paul Parry was back too, Michael Boulding (Barnsley's 4th choice striker hoping to score 5 goals for us before the end of the season but who hasn't done anything more than win a corner kick in 4 substitute displays) made way.
Other than that, it was as you were with Alexander, Vidmar-Gabbidon-Collins-Barker, Ardley-Boland-Langley-McAnuff, Thorne-Jerome. Subs were Margetson-Ledley-Lee-Parry-Williams.
Both sides ran out to a blaring tannoy blasting out a Fox hunting rally cry. Cynics suggested it could have been The Last Post for City and we were away with a high tempo start but Cardiff going at it and looking bright as firstly Chris Barker fired over and then Cameron Jerome burst away brilliantly on the right, got past a defender and squared the ball to Peter Thorne who hit his shot into the ground and forced Walker to tip over well with the ball flying under his crossbar.
So much for a promising first 15 minutes, the rest of the half was a living nightmare as Cardiff were mashed by Leicester carrying on where they had left off at Leicester. Torn completely apart, giving the home side all the time and space they wanted and making mistake after mistake, it was a mauling and pitiful to endure. Only Neil Alexander prevented a rout, he was our sole player he could leave the pitch at half-time with any credit.
City's biggest problem was on our right where Tony Vidmar and Neil Ardley were not making a combination, Vidmar was being skinned time and again by his Aussie team-mate Danny Tiatto and David Connolly was rampaging on that side too. Vidmar did nothing to appease his critics Tiatto got around him five times in the first period and with some ease too and that's where the chances came from.
Alexander firstly brilliantly pushed an edge of area piledriver from Tiattto over as it was flying to his top corner. Then he denied Connolly and then Tiatto again both finding no problem coming in from the right and getting room to shoot. His best stop was with his legs when Hughes virtually walked through the centre of City's defence to be one on one with Alexander. Then he was forced to save again.
There were also appalling mistakes taking place. Three times, Jobi McAnuff got the ball deep in defence and roll it across the area for someone else to clear but City were caught out. Gabbidon was being lackadaisical and kamikaze like. Boland, unsurprisingly, was rusty in his first action for months and giving the ball away almost every time that he had it.
City's only respite from the onslaught to their goal and the self-inflicted damage on themselves was when Jerome dispossessed a defender and raced away on the right but he fired comfortably over the bar failing to notice Peter Thorne was unmarked at the far post. Thorne himself was put clear 35 yards out by Jerome but lacked any pace to get away and was caught by two defenders before he reached the penalty box.
The goal had been a long time coming but duly arrived, in controversial style, on 33 minutes. With Peter Thorne off the pitch following a heavy challenge, Tiatto once more whizzed past Vidmar who appears to have lost all pace and whipped a ball over, it was glanced on by a Leicester player in the box and came to our corner where Kenton looked an easy couple of yards offside. A huge roar went up from fans and players but Kenton was allowed to carry on, put the ball back across the box where CONNOLLY fired across Alexander from close range, the ball possibly deflecting en route.
Immediately, and without being asked, the referee ran to his linesman. An obvious sign that he doubted the player was on-side but the official seemed happy, a goal was awarded and off went the fox horn again, this time accompanied by Leicester fans who stood up and celebrated nearest us being escorted out. Madness - why do they bother going if you can't even stand and celebrate a goal? The ones who remained on their seats seemed to enjoy chanting “You’re going down with the Forest” at us.
Cardiff appeared to be in complete shock and total disarray, Lawrence made a bleated adjustment by getting Ardley and McAnuff to switch sides but then they had an amazing let off. Ball came over, defence motionless, Connolly's shot from 6 yards unchecked bounced off the inside of the post and came out to Danny Gabbidon who casual to the point of complete stupidity and tried to flick the ball up before clearing, a Leicester player closed him down, the ball rebounding off his body and a couple of inches over.
City fans were now rightly getting furious with the team's display. We had no heart, no fight, we looked a side accepting our fate. When the half-time whistle went, many booed, only Alexander tried to lift us and got applauded off for his heroics which meant City were still in a game when they didn't have any right to be.
Half-time: LEICESTER 1 CITY 0
The interval mood underneath the stand was angry and highly depressed. It was so bad that The Samaritans could have been put on standby. Not even a City fan's article in the Leicester programme declaring Alan Durban as a legend to City fans, hailing Frank Burrows flat caps and whose City Dream Team included Peter Zois, Carlton Leonard, Jorn Shwinkendorf, Billy Woof and Andy Campbell could raise a smile. Who was that Nigel bloke who sent it in anyway? And, come to think of it, who were those City fans who genuinely asked me if I was being serious?
The second half saw both teams return to another blaring Fox horn. By now, the funeral march tune felt more appropriate. However Leicester couldn't quite match their first half intensity and City were showing signs of revival and fight. With that, the City end were behind the team again and sang their hearts out for the rest of the game.
We looked a different side as, although not spectacular, Boland and Langley were starting to impose themselves, players were getting forward, Jobi McAnuff was leading the way with break after break on the right and Ardley was getting stuck in too.
Then, amazingly, without a single shot in the opening 10 minutes, City levelled with a set piece, our only on-target effort of the half. Richard Langley got forward and was clipped inches outside the area, right in the centre of goal. Four City players stood around debating, Leicester's players had ages to sort themselves out and there was an interminable wait but it still seemed that Leicester weren't ready as ARDLEY stepped up, clipped it over the wall and right into the corner of goal, halfway up with Walker rooted to his spot just watching it go past him.
Ardley, City's players and City's fans went absolutely mental. Ardley leading the charge to our corner to celebrate, players piling on top of him, fans piling on top of each other in mass celebration. The singing just got louder, started by a return volley to Leicester of “you’re going down with the Forest” and then a tongue in cheek “Easy, easy, easy”. It was now a right battle which would be won or lost on bottle and fight. I'm pleased to say, City were now finally up for it after their half-hour of going missing in action.
Leicester were niggled, the game had an edge of ref Taylor, a man with a history of brandishing cards more than most, lived up to his reputation as he booked three Leicester boys in quick succession as tackles were flying in. By the end of the night, almost half their side were booked, one was off, only Alan Lee was carded for us. Not a dirty game but Leicester did put in some uncompromising challenges as City got at them in the second half.
It was tense, emotions were raw but the chances never quite arrived for either side although Cardiff were now having the best of it and giving Leicester far more trouble than they caused us. Cameron Jerome was replaced on the hour by Alan Lee, although Thorney again looked knackered.
Lee was bright and alert and bothering Leicester’s defence but why doesn’t he go for goal. One angled burst past defenders set him free centre of goal, it was crying out for a speculative hit but he rolled it wide, too wide, for Jobi instead. Another run down the opposite channel saw him flying into the area but with no support, he rolled it to a Leicester defender instead of taking on the last man and shooting. Another run saw him cross too high and too far when there was again a chance for him to inflict more mayhem.
In between that, City had a boost as just inside the final 10 minutes, City got the ball away, Langley turned and started to get away on halfway where Nikos Dabizas caught him. The ref had little doubt in awarding a second yellow then a red card and it was time to wave and sing ‘cheerio’ to the ex-Newcastle player. It looked a little harsh, we would have been gutted to see a Cardiff player sent off for it, but every little helps.
Lennie, however, is a negative tactician and set his sights on making sure we had a point and some advantage over Brighton and Crewe rather than risk defeat in going for the win that would near have ensured survival there and then. City fans belted out the name of “Paul Parry” but it fell on deaf ears. Lennie’s onl change was silly, Joe Ledley coming on 90 seconds into three minutes added time. Really, is there any point?
There was one big chance for City as Ginge Collins met a long McAnuff cross at the far stick, brought the ball down with his chest and fired a foot wide, the ball rebounding onto the pitch of the back stanchion. It was agonisingly close but when was the last time we won a game late? It doesn’t happen at this club.
Leicester gave us one or two anxious moments as well, Tiatto a menace to the end and they employed three subs to change their fortunes but our defence were in no mood to surrender again. Alexander was now being very well protected but was still our man of the match for his first half excellence.
Still, a good fightback by the team, a point we had to be happy with and a huge applause from fnas to players and players to fans. The players showed grit for 45 minutes, the fans showed outstanding, raucous and defiant support for 2 hours. We way we all sang our hearts out and turned up on a Tuesday night in such great numbers, you would have thought we were going for the Premiership. Our players must be the luckiest around, very well paid and backed like no other players at this level. A fair number of the Leciester fans nearest us acknowledged our backing and applauded us on the way out. All club have great fans, all enjoy great support but Cardiff City, particularly on the raod, have special support that has to be worth a couple of points per season, I have little doubt. Well done to all City fans there.
There were two curious incidents at the end. Firstly, as final whistle blew, one of the Leicester players disappointed at the dropped points went to smash the ball into the crowd but, instead, hit Richard Langley full on standing a couple of yards away. It sparked a 16 man handbags-stylee scuffle that was quelled as quickly as it started before the players came over to us for an ovation for their comeback.
We were asked to stay in the ground for a few minutes and, during that spell, Cardiff’s players came back out for a warm down but led by Richard Langley talking with, and comforting, a distressed looking Cameron Jerome. Cameron looked inconsolable, in tears. Langers brought him over to us, his name was chanted, he ayatollahed and smiled. However as the players moved away, Jerome was still upset and had Thorney chatting with him for a long while. What was that about?
Jerome apart, the rest of the City following was chuffed. It was a little disappointing that they didn’t go for the win but, given first half events, a draw was very acceptable. The first half was so bad but I think I would have been relieved to see City only lose 1-0. From utter despair to reborn belief in 45 minutes, fans felt we would now be ok and belted out a rousing chorus of “The Blues are staying up” with some adding a second verse of “and then we’re going bust”. Leicester fans were sent on their way with more chants of “easy, easy” and seeing all the Walkers’ paraphernalia, another of, “There’s only one Golden Wonder”. Hardcore nostalgic City fans also sang “one Chipmunk Oxo”!
The slowest Police Escort ever took us out of town, along dual carriageways and out of the County at no more than 10mph but every time the convoy hit any incl9ine, our coach was holding up everyone else as their speed was too fast (I’m not kidding either!). We made it back to Cardiff at 1:30am tired but happy and quietly confident of a result against Reading this weekend.
My biggest problem and worry was my half-time Chicken Balti pie wreaked havoc on my stomach. Did anyone else have a Pukka Chukka all night long? Got to go, need to be ill again.
Report from FootyMad
Leicester City failed to secure the win their manager Craig Levein had said would have virtually guaranteed their Championship survival.
After surrendering a well-earned lead and hitting the woodwork twice, they finished the game against fellow relegation contenders Cardiff with ten men after defender Nikos Dabizas was shown a red card after a second bookable offence.
The result now means that Leicester have set a new club record of 20 draws in a season.
Cardiff keeper Neil Alexander had kept his side in the game early on when he first clawed away David Connolly's 18-yard drive from under the bar and then blocked Stephen Hughes's close-range shot with his feet.
But Leicester's persistence was rewarded on 33 minutes when an angled drive by Darren Kenton was diverted by a defender into the path of Connolly who side-footed home from six yards.
Four minutes before the break Connolly missed a chance to put his side 2-0 up when he crashed a five-yard shot against a post. It was a costly miss for on 58 minutes Cardiff were level.
Dabizas conceded a free-kick on the edge of the 'D' and Neal Ardley stepped up to guide the ball over the defensive wall and into the top left-hand corner of Ian Walker's net.
The home side almost restored their lead on 73 minutes when Dion Dublin rattled the bar with a header direct from a Walker clearance.
But with ten minutes to go Leicester were reduced to ten men when Dabizas was shown a second yellow card.
Depleted Leicester continued to press but it was Cardiff who almost snatched it with five minutes to go when James Collins shot narrowly wide.
Extrenal reports
Western Mail
The Times
Leicester Mercury
South Wales Echo