FATAL BLOW

Foxes star smacks stunner to sink Cherries in extra-time

BY MIKE WALTERS @Mikewaltersmgm

ABDUL FATAWU threw off his superhero’s cape to send Leicester waltzing towards Wembley with an extra-time bolt from the blue.

Ghanaian winger Fatawu turned down the chance to play in the Africa Cup of Nations last month to help the Foxes’ promotion charge – only to pick up a costly red card in the M69 derby defeat at Coventry.

But amid the glut of spurned chances at both ends, his winner at the Vitality Stadium was like discovering a gold ring in the compost.

Bournemouth lived to regret not closing down Fatawu (right, celebrating with

Conor Coady) 25 yards out, and Cherries keeper Mark Travers should perhaps have kept it out of the top corner, but it was a sweeter strike than a dessert trolley.

And for Andoni

Iraola’s side, who are no strangers to bottling perfectly winnable cup ties, this goes down as yet another wasted opportunity.

The Cherries have only been to Wembley once – back in 1998, when they lost the EFL Trophy final against Grimsby – and they missed their cue.

Wobbling at the Championship summit after two league defeats, Foxes boss Enzo Maresca’s line-up – with eight changes – was a predictable reshuffle but another dent in the famous old pot’s prestige.

It’s only three years since Youri Tielemans’ rocket at Wembley won the Cup for the Foxes, but only two of their starting XI here – Marc Albrighton and Hamza Choudhury – featured that afternoon. When promotion is worth £150million, give or take the loose change from parachute money, Maresca can be forgiven for shuffling the pack like a casino croupier.

But 2,000 travelling fans who made the 340-mile round trip in midweek to cheer on a cast who are barely household names in their own household were not disappointed by City’s performance.

Bournemouth, sorely missing rested top scorer Dominic Solanke, peppered the Foxes’ box with crosses, but too many of them were as wasted as a trip to the penny arcade without any change in your pocket.

And as much as the pre-match flamethrowers and light shows add to the sense of occasion, Cup ties with a combined 14 changes feel like West End matinees where John Gielgud takes a breather at the top of the bill and his understudy is Christopher Biggins.

To Leicester’s credit, even when passes went astray and their link-up play was disjointed, they were brimming with good intentions.

The Foxes sprang to life just before the break, Albrighton’s low drive rebounding to safety off the foot of a post and then, seconds later, Wanya Marcel’s rising effort from 25 yards extending home keeper Mark Travers.

At the other end, Jakub Stolarczyk’s reflex kept out Dango Outtara’s near-post header in first-half added-time, and straight after the restart Marco Senesi’s teasing cross bounced apologetically against the woodwork.

And as extra-time loomed, in keeping with the woeful finishing on both sides, Yunus Agkun blazed the best chance of the night wastefully high and wide.