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Burnley’s Ross Wallace nets injury-time equaliser at Leicester City Burnley’s Ross Wallace nets injury-time equaliser at Leicester City
(about 2 hours later)
Fortress King Power did not have the greatest ring to it anyway but while Leicester City’s home form could provide them with a platform for survival, their need to beat and keep above potential relegation rivals remains paramount. It will not just be victories over Manchester United, however fantastic they are, upon which Leicester City’s Premier League future will be determined but their ability to see off potential relegation rivals, so conceding an equaliser six minutes into stoppage time to Burnley could be a bitter blow.
They have lost only once in their last 19 league games in their own stadium but after that dramatic victory over Manchester United last time here, their failure to see off Burnley is the kind of result that could prove painful. Ross Wallace scored six minutes into stoppage time to equalise and lift Sean Dyche’s team off the foot of the Premier League table. Nigel Pearson, the Leicester manager, was rather dismissive of Burnley’s approach, after the two sides automatically promoted from the Championship ultimately cancelled each other out. But he was pleased his team had at least dominated the game. However, dropping so deep that they gave Burnley the late opportunity to win and convert a free-kick, expertly dispatched by Ross Wallace, after Michael Kightly had ended a club record goal drought of 10 hours and 55 minutes to score a first equaliser, smacked of carelessness.
Nine points separated these teams as they came up from the SkyBet Championship in May but Burnley’s spirited second-half rally suggests there is fight in them yet. Leicester have enjoyed a superb start to the season, peaking with that memorable 5-3 triumph over United last time out here, where they have lost once in 19 games, but beating and keeping above teams such as Burnley will be paramount in their bid to stay up.
Pearson has his team playing with a zest and dynamism that merited the lead they twice took on Saturday but they are not so much better than Sean Dyche’s injury-stricken side – who moved off the bottom of the table with this point – that they can afford to take their foot off the gas.
Injuries mean Burnley are not only lacking Danny Ings, who could be back after the international break, and Sam Vokes, their strike partnership in last season’s successful promotion campaign, but an entire midfield so a point here is not to be sniffed at. “I thought we were terrific,” Dyche said. “This was much more of a reminder of what we’re about, with the will and the determination. Teams have only come away from us once, last Sunday [in the 4-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion].”
Pearson described this as “a bit of a Championship game” as Burnley “didn’t come here to play any fluid football”.
He added: “We did OK, could have done slightly better, but overall I was pretty pleased with the way we dominated the game. We did enough to have won. They didn’t really trouble us today.
“We’re better than we were last year, and I don’t think they’re as good as they were last season, on today’s evidence, although I know they’ve got injuries. But what they do have is spirit.”
Leicester looked to have done enough to win thanks to their more enterprising play and goals from Jeff Schlupp and Riyad Mahrez, their energetic wide men, but they sat too deep in the latter stages and paid the price.Leicester looked to have done enough to win thanks to their more enterprising play and goals from Jeff Schlupp and Riyad Mahrez, their energetic wide men, but they sat too deep in the latter stages and paid the price.
Tom Heaton saved well from Mahrez and Liam Moore edged a difficult chance wide after Wes Morgan’s header deflected off Ben Mee before Leicester took a warranted lead. Mahrez, the Algerian, was permitted too much space to cross from the right for Schlupp to turn in his first Premier League goal. As the home side started progressively with two up front, Mahrez, the Algerian, was permitted too much space to cross from the right for Schlupp to turn in his first Premier League goal.
But shortly after Burnley, humbled 4-0 in the west half of the Midlands last Sunday, went past the unwanted club-record mark of 10 hours and 51 minutes without a goal, set in 1970, they finally relaxed sufficiently to score. Scott Arfield, who had given Dyche’s team the lead on the opening Monday of the season to antagonise Chelsea into life, was allowed all the time he liked to cross from the left for Lukas Jutkiewicz to head down for Michael Kightly to poke home with his studs. But shortly after Burnley had broken their club record time without a goal, set in 1970, they finally relaxed sufficiently to score.
The man who had given them the lead on the opening Monday of the season to antagonise Chelsea into life in a match which they lost 3-1, Scott Arfield, was allowed to cross from the left for Lukas Jutkiewicz to head down for Kightly to poke home with his studs.
Yet the excitement must have gone to their heads for within a minute Leicester had regained the lead. Jamie Vardy’s cross from the left wing deflected up off Jason Shackell perfectly for Mahrez to run in unmarked and head home.Yet the excitement must have gone to their heads for within a minute Leicester had regained the lead. Jamie Vardy’s cross from the left wing deflected up off Jason Shackell perfectly for Mahrez to run in unmarked and head home.
Just as Leicester seemed to have done enough in the second half, their willingness to sit back cost them dear. Six of the seven added minutes of stoppage time had passed when Matty James, the Leicester substitute, tripped Arfield and from the free-kick, Ross Wallace, a Burnley substitute, curled his shot into the top corner for Burnley’s fourth draw of the season. Just as Leicester seemed to have done enough, their willingness to sit back cost them dearly. Seven minutes of stoppage time were added, mainly for the late delay caused when Kieran Trippier was slowly taken off the field on a stretcher. With one minute remaining, Matty James, the Leicester substitute, tripped Arfield. From the free-kick, Wallace, a Burnley substitute, curled his shot into the top corner for Burnley’s fourth draw of the season.