Toon rise to salute VARDY
England striker scores for 10th game on spin to enter record books
AT least Newcastle’s disenchanted supporters enjoyed watching Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, whom they applauded after his record-equalling goal and again when he left the field to a standing ovation. It was a unique and well-deserved tribute.
The last player they saw fit to recognise in such fashion was Steven Gerrard following one devastating display for Liverpool in 2008.
Here, they again broke from their booing and suspended the animosity towards their own sorry side to show appreciation for the brilliant England front man.
Vardy had just equalled Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Premier League record of scoring in 10 consecutive matches when, with the 28-year-old returning to the halfway line, St James’ Park hailed the remarkable feat of a player whose rise from non-League to the history books has captured the imagination of football fans way beyond the confines of Leicester. Score at home to Manchester United next Saturday and a new post-1992 record will be his. Follow it up with goals against Swansea and Chelsea and he will surpass the all-time topflight record set by Sheffield United’s Jimmy Dunne in 1931.
Lost a little amid the outpouring of praise for Vardy, however, was the fact that Leicester’s easy victory — completed by Leonardo Ulloa and Shinji Okazaki — had seen them cruise to the top of the table.
Steve McClaren’s Newcastle were dreadful and both he and his players were jeered by their own fans, but Leicester had been breathtaking in the final third.
The aggressive pace of the direct Vardy allied to the cunning of Riyad Mahrez has been the inspiration behind their ascent and, on this evidence, it is Leicester who are best equipped to gatecrash the Champions League placings.
If they keep Vardy fit — he was a doubt for this game with a hip injury that kept him out of the recent England matches — there is no reason why Claudio Ranieri’s side cannot challenge. The Italian knows how important his in-form striker is to that ambition. ‘I’m very happy for him, it’s not easy to equal the record of a champion like Van Nistelrooy,’ he said.
‘I want to say thank you to him. When a manager has a striker who is scoring goals like he is, it makes me very happy. I hope he can beat the record in the next match.
‘It was fantastic to see the Newcastle fans applaud him like that. I love the English spirit. It was the same when I managed (Gianfranco) Zola at Chelsea. So I want to say thank you to all of the fans who clapped Jamie.’ Those same fans were soon spitting venom in the direction of McClaren when he attempted to applaud them at the end. And the former England boss, whose side did not once trouble goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, said: ‘That’s our worst performance of the season.
‘That’s the worst thing (no shot on target). Even our last game here it was a thrilling 0-0 with lots of shots on target. But we got what we deserved today – and that was nothing. It’s two steps forward and three steps back at the moment.’
As bad as Newcastle were, however, the day belonged to Vardy. His first chance arrived after just six minutes, taking aim from 12 yards but Newcastle’s Aleksandar Mitrovic blocked inside a crowded area.
Newcastle started sluggishly and did not get any better. Leicester should have been in front when Mahrez turned Paul Dummett inside out before squaring for Ulloa, whose first-time effort was kept out superbly by Rob Elliot.
Vardy should have had his goal four minutes before the break when Mahrez sent him clear. Elliot, though, read their intention and was off his line in a flash to save.
But there was nothing Elliot could do to deny Vardy his landmark strike in first-half stoppage time when he accepted an Ulloa pass before getting the better of Chancel Mbemba and firing into the bottom corner.
Newcastle could not cope with the combination of Mahrez and Vardy and the latter then smashed a rising drive against the crossbar from Mahrez’s pass. The ease with which Leicester penetrated Newcastle’s backline drew moans and groans from the home crowd and those were amplified just after the hour mark when Ulloa headed the second, Mahrez having landed a cross on his head at the far post.
Vardy then departed to yet more home applause and most of those supporters had already streamed for the exits by the time substitute Okazaki forced a third from close range late on.
With Vardy watching on from the dugout, there was little reason for them to remain.