Pulis feels pressure in El of a thumping
When the England defender was dismissed in the fourth minute the Clarets must have felt like they had won the lottery.
Instead they lost the ticket to salvation as Brendan Rodgers’ side refused to crumble and they ended up snatching victory in the 90th minute through Wes Morgan, who must have been expecting most of his afternoon to be spent on the substitutes bench.
Instead the old Leicester warhorse, who captained the side which won the Premier League in 2016, was summoned into action following Maguire’s premature departure.
And up he popped to meet a perfect cross delivered by Youri Tielemans to head past Tom Heaton and spark mass celebrations in front of the travelling Foxes fans.
When he reached the dressing room he was treated to a round of applause by the whole squad.
Rodgers revealed: “I said to him on Friday, ‘Keep an eye on Peter Crouch. If he comes on you’re coming on!’ But he ended up coming on much earlier. It was a great header.
“I told the players that when you come to Burnley style alone won’t get you points. You need to have steel. I am proud of the team. We showed a wonderful persistence.
“On the sending off I think he made the right call.”
Burnley will argue that apart from the Maguire exit referee Michael Oliver did them no favours.
With the score at 1-1 there were strong claims for handball in the box by Wilfred Ndidi and for a trip on Charlie Taylor by the same player.
Dyche said: “I am not going to start harping on about it. But you will do well to find Charlie Taylor hasn’t been touched. I feel for the referees. I think their eyes are that trained to diving.
“But there was more to it than that. We never found the moments that count, the real quality you need to score goals.” It was a sickening blow to concede so late – the 10th goal they have leaked in the 90th minute or later this season in what is proving to be a worrying campaign. It is a stark contrast to this time last year when they were on course for a Europa League spot.
For Leicester it was a nightmare start. As soon as Johann Berg Gudmundsson fell in a heap after being clipped in full flight by Maguire’s leg as he chased a Jack Cork through-ball you knew the England man was in trouble.
The Leicester defence had been caught out by Burnley’s fleet-footed break and Maguire was the last man as he brought the Icelander’s run to a premature end just outside the area.
Referee Oliver – not one to bottle the big decisions – calmly waved away inevitable Leicester protestations of innocence and drew out the red card.
That left Foxes boss Rodgers with a swift decision to make.
He took off a dejected Demarai Gray bringing on Mr Dependable, Morgan.
But before he could act keeper Kasper Schmeichel needed to be at his best to turn Gudmundsson’s free-kick, awarded for the Maguire incident, on to the bar.
Leicester though showed great mental character and James Maddison struck with a stunning free-kick.
James Tarkowski brought Maddison down and the lively midfielder picked himself up to exact retribution.
Maddison, who had almost missed the game through sickness, removed his shirt in celebration to expose a T-shirt with the words, ‘RIP Sophie. I love you’ in memory of five-year-old Norwich girl Sophie Taylor who died recently from cancer.
The heart rending message did not allow the former Canary to escape the inevitable yellow card.
Five minutes later Burnley were level through their emerging teenager Dwight McNeil. But that was as good as it got as they slumped to their fourth consecutive defeat. ASTON VILLA gatecrashed the Championship top six for the first time in six months.
Middlesbrough tried to lock and bolt the door but failed and are vulnerable now, only one point ahead of a revived Villa and Preston.
Dutch winger Anwar El Ghazi cut Middlesbrough’s defensive plan into pieces with his 28th-minute goal.
Then John McGinn got his third in two games to put more pressure on Boro boss Tony Pulis before sub Albert Adomah wrapped it up.
It is now three successive defeats and one point from the last 12 for Boro, with Pulis’ promotion bid on the verge of dying.
“Three defeats on the bounce – it’s the first time it has happened to me at this football club,” said Pulis.
“We’ve got to do better than what we’ve done today.
“The international break is good for us, a good time for the players to have a breather, clear their heads and then get going again.”
Villa suffered the same feelings back in December.
After an impressive 3-0 win at Middlesbrough they slumped to two wins in 14 games and Villa Park became a restless place.
Boss Dean Smith was on the verge of writing off promotion but now, after a five-game unbeaten run that includes four successive wins, he is in the top six.
“Winning four games on the spin gives us a bit of momentum and a spring in our step,” said Smith.
“But there are still teams like Middlesbrough above us who we need to catch.
“The work doesn’t stop because you’ve just got in there.”
The last time Villa were in the top six was back in September.
Boro have not been out of the top six all season but Villa have inflicted a lot of damage on them.
Out of the 31 league goals mean-minded Middlesbrough have conceded, six have been banged in by Villa.
El Ghazi, tricky, quick and direct all game, broke the deadlock and a minute before half-time McGinn made it 2-0.
Darren Randolph spilled a Keinan Davis shot and Adomah tapped in a third.