KEL OF A WAY TO CLINCH IT

Iheanacho’s stunner keeps Foxes on track for top four

HOTSHOT Kelechi Iheanacho grabbed a brilliant late winner to strengthen Leicester’s claims for a Champions League spot next season.

Brendan Rodgers’ side went into the game knowing victory would extend the gap over fifth-placed West Ham to seven points.

But Crystal Palace hadn’t read the script, putting up stubborn resistance and threatening to go home with all three points on a number of occasions.

Leading by Wilfried Zaha’s 12th-minute goal, they pushed the Foxes all the way, until Timothy Castagne fired home an equaliser after good work from Iheanacho minutes into the second half.

And then Iheanacho struck in the 80th minute, latching onto a long ball from Jonny Evans and firing a brilliant left-foot shot into the roof of the net for his 17th goal of the season.

Leicester have only been out of the top four once since September 2019, and that was on the very last day of last season when they were pipped for fourth spot by Chelsea.

A disappointing run-in, which saw them take just seven points from their last seven games, cost them dear and Rodgers was desperate to avoid a repeat this time.

He had warned his players beforehand that Palace would not be making up the numbers.

And he snapped at a pre-match suggestion that the Eagles, with little or nothing to play for, were likely to be easily brushed aside. And his worst fears were realised when Zaha (circle) fired the visitors into an early lead.

It was Leicester who had made the early inroads, Jamie Vardy twice springing clear of the Palace backline in the opening exchanges. Strike partner Iheanacho split the Eagles’ defence with a superbly weighted ball, but Vardy’s touch to get around the keeper took him just too wide in the fourth minute. But it was Palace who pounced with a vengeance when Christian Benteke robbed Youri Tielemans on the halfway line and suddenly had the Foxes on the back foot.

He fed Eberechi Eze, who threaded the ball through for Zaha, who bypassed keeper Kasper Schmeichel for his 10th goal of the season.

Palace were quick in the tackle and disrupted the home side’s attempts at slick passing at every available opportunity.

But whatever Rodgers said at the break seemed to work, as his men set about repairing the damage and managed to get themselves back on level terms.

Iheanacho created the equaliser with a neat lay-off in the box, which set up Castagne perfectly for a 12-yard drive into the top corner of the net (left).

Still Palace caused problems and Leicester were left relying on an absolutely superb last-ditch tackle by Evans to rescue them, as he scooped the ball away from Benteke who was poised to shoot just eight yards out.

Then came Iheanacho’s stunning winner that keeps the Foxes well on course for a topfour finish.