Football: Leicester on song

Leicester City 4 Sinclair 20, Ullathorne 26, Cottee 51, Guppy 70 Birmingham City 2 Robinson 35, Adebola 89 Half-time: 2-1 Attendance: 19,846

THE FA CUP, the odd exception apart, served yet again to remind clubs knocking on the door of the Premiership of the gulf that has opened up between the First Division and the top flight.

Leicester demonstrated in decisive fashion that, despite Birmingham's impressive surge towards promotion, the distance between these two cities is considerably further than the road signs between the East and West Midlands suggest.

Once Leicester had cruised into a two-goal lead with the unlikely assistance of their full-backs Frank Sinclair and Rob Ullathorne, both scoring for the first time this season, it was clear Birmingham were not going to improve on their recent dismal record in the competition.

"It was a clear penalty," said the Leicester manager, Martin O'Neill. "The referee said he was too far away and the linesman was unsighted. I thought it was going to be one of those days." He need not have worried. It soon became clear that the former Leicester goalkeeper Kevin Poole would have an uncomfortable return to Filbert Street. After early pressure, Sinclair prised the floodgates open after 20 minutes. Birmingham gave the ball away and a neat one-two with Emile Heskey released him to drive firmly beyond Poole.

Everything was flowing through Leicester's impressive midfielder Neil Lennon and it was he who put in Ullathorne seven minutes later. Although Poole got behind the first shot, the left-back scored with his second attempt from a tight angle.

Birmingham had scarcely ventured from their own half, but falling two goals behind in a knock-out competition concentrates the mind, and a little less caution brought them a quick reward when Steve Robinson ran on to Paul Furlong's header to send a rising drive in off the crossbar.

It made scant impression on Leicester, and Cottee settled it early in the second half, scoring in the top corner after a Lennon pass and Heskey's back-heel set him up. Those three were the most influential players, though their tricky left-winger Steve Guppy ran them close, and it was appropriate that he should round off the victory.

Leicester's progress towards Wembley on a second front in the wake of their successful run in the League Cup was already assured when Dele Adebola chested down to give Birmingham a last-minute consolation.

The Birmingham manager Trevor Francis said: "We have played one or two good sides in our own league this season but nobody who can compare with Leicester. The gulf between the two divisions is massive."