PERFECT TIMING!

Pereira stops the rot as he heads late winner to send Foxes into quarter-finals

RICARDO PEREIRA headed Leicester into the quarter-finals with a late winner to see off dogged Birmingham.

Leicester were in danger of fresh cup frustration after being dumped out of the Carabao Cup semi-finals by a late Aston Villa goal.

The hosts were unconvincing for most of the first half of this clash with Villa’s Second City neighbours.

But their dominant secondhalf display paid off eight minutes from time when Pereira nodded in his fourth goal of the season from Marc Albrighton’s cross.

It was the Foxes’ first win in six games in all competitions. Despite remaining third in the Premier League, boss Brendan Rodgers had admitted his side were low on confidence.

He picked a strong side in pursuit of a morale-boosting win, making just three changes from their defeat at bottomclub Norwich with Albrighton, Wilfred Ndidi and Demarai Gray coming in.

And the hosts flew out of the traps as James Maddison put an early shot over and Ben Chilwell had an effort deflected narrowly wide.

But Birmingham, unbeaten in 13 games, weathered the storm and looked dangerous on the break. Kerim Mrabti had a shot deflected wide before front-man Lukas Jutkiewicz shot straight at Kasper Schmeichel (above). Jutkiewicz had another effort on goal in the 19th minute then flashed a low free-kick wide.

Pep Clotet’s underdogs carried a threat going forward while retaining a disciplined shape.

Keeper Lee Camp did well to palm away a Maddison cross after the England star tricked his way into the box.

But the first half illustrated why Leicester, without top scorer Jamie Vardy, had not scored in three Premier League games.

They started to turn the screw after the break as Kelechi Iheanacho shot straight at Camp.

Maddison curled a rightfoot free-kick around the wall and into the side netting. He went even closer in the 68th minute with a rising left-foot shot from outside the box which hit the bar.

Iheanacho then had the ball in the back of the net, but his effort was offside.

The second half was all Leicester, but they struggled to work Camp. When Pereira fizzed over a low cross, Chilwell blasted over.

But they finally broke the deadlock after Albrighton did superbly on the right to beat Kristian Pedersen and cross.

And there was right-back Pereira in the six-yard box to glance it into the far corner.

Ricardo Pereira heads home eight minutes from time for Leicester RIC TO THE RESCUE