MAHREZ GETS TO THE POINT
Late strike earns a draw
RIYAD MAHREZ was the most relieved man in the King Power last night after his brilliant equaliser salvaged a point for Leicester.
The Algerian had blazed over from seven yards under no pressure in the 50th minute but he made amends 10 minutes from time to cancel out Nacer Chadli’s sublime free-kick.
Mahrez chested down Islam Slimani’s header following Ben Chilwell’s cross and buried a low shot from 12 yards.
Chadli had ended a dour stalemate in the 63rd minute when he netted a dipping 25-yarder after Kelechi Iheanacho had fouled Grzegorz Krychowiak.
Stand-in West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill earlier had Leicester fans baying for his blood after using every trick in the book to keep the Foxes at bay.
He had already pulled off a brilliant flying stop from Danny Simpson when he sent Jamie Vardy sprawling on the edge of the box in the 46th minute.
Vardy nicked the ball away from the Wales international, deputising for the injured Ben Foster, but the England striker was then flattened by the keeper.
Myhill was booked and also needed treatment and at one point looked like he could not carry on. And he had no chance with Mahrez’s leveller, although that was not enough to take Leicester out of the relegation zone.
Both sides kicked off badly in need of a pick-me-up having failed to register a win in their previous five games.
Problem
And the Foxes were left cursing Myhill for preventing them from taking the lead in the 36th minute.
The former Hull man, making his first league start in over a year, was called in when Foster was ruled out with a knee problem.
He has always been Mr Dependable for the Baggies and proved his worth again with a cracking save to deny Simpson his first Leicester goal. The defender seized on an opportunity when the ball broke out to him wide on the right-hand edge of the box.
He caught it sweetly and it was heading in before Myhill beat the ball away.
It was virtually the only highlight of a disappointing first 45 minutes which failed to provide much warmth on a bitterly cold night.
Albion centre-back Ahmed Hegazi put himself immediately on the back foot when he was booked for an agricultural challenge which sent Vardy flying with only eight minutes on the clock.
And from that point on the Egyptian was always going to have to be careful as Vardy did his best to capitalise. LEICESTER (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Fuchs; Iborra, Ndidi, Mahrez, Albrighton; Iheanacho, Vardy. Subs: Hamer, Chilwell, King, Gray, Amartey, Slimani, Okazaki. WEST BROM (4-5-1): Myhill; Dawson, Hegazi, Evans, Gibbs; Barry, Chadli, Krychowiak, Livermore, Rodriguez; Rondon. Subs: Palmer, McAuley, McClean, Brunt, Yacob, Nyom, Phillips. Referee: Mike Dean.