Leicester City 1 Ipswich Town 1
Ipswich caught Leicester City cold with a goal after only 20 seconds but
Nigel Pearson's side recovered from the early setback to earn a Coca-Cola
Championship point on a bitterly cold afternoon at the Walkers Stadium.
The visitors did not take long to warm up. Jonathan Walters won the ball
in midfield and set Jack Colback free down the left side.
His low cross looked to have been turned in at the near post by David Norris
but television replays showed that Ryan McGivern got the last touch and the
on-loan Manchester City full-back was credited with an own goal.
It was the fourth successive match that Ipswich had opened the scoring within
five minutes.
Leicester had scored in their last 11 games so Roy Keane's side faced a tough
task to hold on to their lead.
After Robbie Neilson and Richie Wellens had sent shots wide, only a goalline
clearance by Grant Leadbitter denied Steve Howard an equalising goal just
after the half-hour mark.
But Ipswich were still a threat and Chris Weale was called into action to
tip efforts from Walters and former Fox Gareth McAuley over the crossbar.
However, Leicester were level after 38 minutes and it was a bad goal to concede
from Ipswich's point of view.
Lloyd Dyer cut inside from the right-hand side, Keane's side had a couple
of opportunities to clear the ball but it eventually broke to Howard just
inside the 18-yard box and the burly striker beat Arran Lee-Barrett with a
low shot into the corner.
Barrett got away with fumbling a headed effort from Matty Fryatt early in
the second half before Walters headed wide at the other end just before the
hour mark.
There had been a fiery undercurrent to the game and it threatened to boil
over following a tangle between Norris and Fryatt in the centre circle.
It sparked a melee involving players from both sides but referee Mark Haywood
opted to keep his cards in his pocket after consulting his assistant.
Soon afterwards, Leicester's leading scorer Fryatt was then denied his 13th
goal of the season by a superb save from Barrett.
Leadbitter had the final chance of the game but his shot from the edge of
the area cleared the crossbar.
The Foxes remain in fifth place in the Championship while Ipswich's resurgence
continues - they have lost only once in the league in 13 matches - but they
stay in 18th position.
Telegraph.co.uk
Steve Howard (38)
Ritchie Wellens
Paul Gallagher (70)
