Late Vardy penalty rescues point for 10-man Leicester

Leicester City’s spirit, undimmed by recent tragedy, shone through again in the murk of a Sussex seaside afternoon with a Jamie Vardy-inspired fightback.

Vardy stepped off the substitutes’ bench to smash home from the penalty spot 11 minutes from the end. It left Brighton wondering how they failed to capitalise on Glenn Murray’s early strike against their 10-man opponents.

Reduced in numbers when James Maddison was sent off before the halfhour, following a second yellow card for simulation, Leicester were initially unable to cope with Brighton.

Murray had collected an award marking his 100th Brighton goal before the game, and No101 was not long in following. The Albion stalwart will not have scored many simpler. When Anthony Knockaert’s 15th-minute corner came floating over, the defence stood static as Murray headed the ball home.

Brighton looked set fair but reckoned without depleted Leicester’s resolve. “You have to take advantage of it,” bemoaned Brighton manager Chris Hughton. “It feels like two points lost.”

The spirit Leicester have displayed in the days since the helicopter tragedy outside the King Power Stadium four weeks ago was much in evidence in a determined second-half response.

“We played like 11 men. It was a fantastic feeling,” the Leicester manager, Claude Puel, said.

Fired up by Vardy, they pressed insistently for a leveller. It came 11 minutes from time after Kelechi Iheanacho had been cut down by Beram Kayal. Up stepped Vardy to send the spot-kick high into the Brighton net and spark wild celebrations with the visiting supporters behind the goal.