Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
VARDY LAYS DOWN LAW
Jamie’s perfect response to WAG taunts
Maddison 49, 74, 81, 90
4 1
BY JAMES NURSEY
WHEN will rival fans learn... don’t make Jamie Vardy angry.
The Leicester veteran was mercilessly taunted by Southampton fans for his wife’s Wagatha Christie legal drama with Coleen Rooney.
“Jamie Vardy, your wife is a grass,” sang the away fans, adding: “Rooney, Rooney.”
But Vardy responded by setting up James Maddison to open the scoring before making it 2-0 himself with his 17th of the season in all competitions.
The striker then gleefully ran half the length of the pitch to celebrate by pointing to his name on the back of his shirt in front of the Saints fans.
Sub Ayoze Perez added two more late goals for the hosts after James Ward-prowse had pulled one back from the spot.
Vardy will be back for more goals next term whatever happens in court. But referee Jon Moss will not be putting any more players in the dock after taking his final game. The official managed to infuriate both sets of fans at various stages of the game.
Southampton started the better but Leicester could have taken the lead in the 40th minute when Timothy Castagne swung over a superb cross from the right. Vardy got on the end of it but was unable to direct his effort goalwards.
Mohamed Elyounoussi caught Wesley Fofana on the shin with a late tackle but the
Frenchman, who broke a leg last summer in preseason, was able to continue.
The hosts were also unhappy when
Oriol Romeu caught
Vardy in the face as the striker went down.
Moss ordered a drop-ball which was given straight to Leicester before keeper Kasper Schmeichel thumped a goal kick straight downfield. Saints defender Lyanco made a hash of his attempted header back to the keeper, allowing Vardy to steal in.
Alex Mccarthy thwarted Vardy with his body but Maddison was on hand to slot in his 18th of the season in all competitions in the 49th minute. It sparked furious protests from the visitors as they felt Leicester should not have got the ball back unchallenged.
But Southampton could have no complaints when Vardy made it 2-0 in the 74th minute with a fine turn and shot from Harvey Barnes’s pass.
Saints pulled a goal back 11 minutes from time. Youri Tielemans caught Stuart Armstrong in the area and skipper Wardprowse convertedfrom the spot.
But Perez (celebrating, left, with Vardy) sealed the win for Leicester after a superb assist from Maddison, whose pass cut Saints open. Maddison must not want the season to end. In breaking the deadlock, the in-form attacking midfielder netted for the fourth successive game and finished with 11 assists in all competitions. He later went off to a standing ovation before Perez rifled in another superb finish with his right foot to make it 4-1 as Foxes finished in style. But their eighth spot in the Premier League is three places worse than last season, with 14 points fewer