PFA: DO MORE TO COMBAT RACISM
Sarmiento’s late leveller stuns Leicester
THE Professional Footballers’ Association say their members do not believe enough is being done to tackle racism in football.
Coventry midfielder Kasey Palmer (above) and AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan (right) both reported being racially abused during games at the weekend.
Both matches eventually restarted after the alleged incidents, and PFA chair Omar Beckles says players think the authorities need to take stronger action.
Beckles said: “Our members want to see real, consistent and significant consequences for racist abuse, both for the individuals who are responsible and for clubs who fail to get a grip of the issue within their stadiums. The reality is that players don’t believe this is happening.”
JEREMY SARMIENTO rescued a point for Ipswich that was good enough to lift them back into second spot.
The on-loan winger pounced in the penultimate minute as Kieran Mckenna’s side again rescued a point from a lost position.
Sarmiento, who has spent the first half of the season on loan at West Brom, bundled home from eight yards after Foxes’ keeper Mads Hermansen spilled Massimo Llungo’s fierce drive from the edge of the area.
The goal would have made uncomfortable watching for Leicester boss Enzo Maresca, who had been banished to the stands as punishment for picking up his third booking of the season.
The goal prevented Leicester from going 10 points clear at the top but they were able to maintain their advantage thanks to Leif Davis’s own goal.
The left-back was in the wrong place for the second time this season as a deflected cross bounced into him and over the goalline.
He suffered a similar fate against Leeds United four weeks ago as the table-toppers were thwarted in their efforts to stretch their lead at the top of the Championship table.
The game itself took time to settle. With both teams playing to a clear pattern, the opening skirmishes were like two fighters feeling their way into a bout with jabs with neither landing a clean shot.
The Foxes enjoyed the majority of the possession but hadn’t tested Vaclav Hladky until Hamza Choudhury, used as an emergency left-back, tried his luck from the edge of the area. The Czech keeper was at full stretch keeping it out.
Time and again it appeared the final pass was missing for Leicester but they found a way through on the half-hour.
Stephy Mavididi played a neat one-two with Ricardo Pereira and 56% 7
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POSSESSION 44% SHOTS ON TARGET 3 SHOTS OFF TARGET 5 TOTAL PASSES 373 CORNERS 8 OFFSIDE 1 FOULS 11 CARDS
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ATT: his low centre was just out of reach for Hladky to gather. He managed to touch the ball with his fingertips and that diversion was enough to send it into Davis’s legs.
The defender could not get out of the way and it hit him before crossing the goalline (below).
The visitors have started the second period like they wanted to do something about falling behind, despite the fact that they had been on the back foot throughout the first half.
Wes Burns’ well-controlled volley would have brought them level were it not for an excellent tipover from Hermansen, who had spent the majority of the match as a spectator. He was called into action late on but was found wanting as Sarmiento grabbed the late goal which was just reward for Ipswich’s determination to drag something from the game as boss Kieran Mckenna’s late changes paid off. Mckenna said: “Leicester are one of the best teams in the Championship ever so it was a big step-up for us but we were brave and will be stronger for that.”
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