Bournemouth left frustrated as Danny Simpson handball goes unpunished to result in Leicester City stalemate

Bournemouth 0 Leicester City 0: Marc Pugh's rebounded effort clearly struck the Leicester defender's hand but referee Graham Scott failed to spot the penalty offence

Bournemouth were left angered by the failure to award a penalty against Leicester City (Getty)

Eddie Howe predicted Bournemouth’s battle to avoid relegation this season would be “brutal” and the manager was quickly proved right. Anxious to secure only their second league win of the season, Howe’s side found themselves on the wrong end of a contentious decision just three minutes into this game against Leicester City when referee Graham Scott failed to spot Danny Simpson’s hand diverting Marc Pugh’s close-range shot wide of goal.

Had the match official taken a different view, Leicester would have been reduced to ten men and Bournemouth awarded a penalty. As it was, Howe and his players were left with a lingering sense of frustration and the feeling that this was very much a case of two points dropped, particularly with meetings with Tottenham and Chelsea sandwiched either side of a trip to Stoke City, to come.

For Leicester, there was undoubtedly a sense they had got away with it. Craig Shakespeare’s side were equally anxious to build on their solitary league win but, having already faced four of the likely top six, the manager had spoken positively beforehand of his hopes that a kinder run of fixtures would see his side start moving up the table.

Shakespeare demonstrated his eagerness to shake things up by his decision to name Riyad Mahrez among the substitutes, having warned the Algeria winger of the need to improve his levels of performance. Mahrez was replaced by Demarai Gray while Jamie Vardy, as expected, started up front alongside Shinji Okazaki despite being unavailable for England next week because of a chronic hip complaint.

Vardy’s contribution would prove to be limited with the most significant moment of the game coming after a strong break by Joshua King down the right hand flank was capped by a low cross towards Jermain Defoe, who was making the kind of run towards the near post that has brought the forward so many goals throughout his career. This time, Defoe’s instinctive first time shot sent the ball against the bar, but the rebound fell kindly to Pugh whose shot was deflected wide off Simpson. Pugh was convinced the defender used his hand and television replays showed the winger was right, but the referee who didn’t have a clear view of the incident, pointed for a corner.

Eddie Howe will have seen the result as an opportunity missed for Bournemouth (Getty)

There were few signs of the visitors’ strength going forward, however, as Bournemouth repeatedly pressed them onto the back foot. Two minutes after forcing Simpson’s apparent handball, Pugh was again presented with a chance to open the scoring, again after being set up by Defoe who had been sent clear by Junior Stanislas’ long ball, but wastefully pulled his shot wide.

King was guilty of a similar miss midway through the half and when the deflection that took Pugh’s 42nd minute shot over the bar was also missed by the referee, there was a growing sense this might not be Bournemouth’s day, despite Leicester’s failure to create a first half chance of note.

Marc Pugh's effort was blocked by the hand of Danny Simpson (Getty)

Vardy was prevented from finding space by Simon Francis and Nathan Ake, the home side’s impressive central defenders, and when a crack finally did appear in the Bournemouth defences, Shinji Okazaki was unable to take advantage. Marc Albrighton’s floated cross struck Francis and fell to the feet of the Japan international who side-footed his shot wide of the post when he should have done much better.

This was clearly not a day for Leicester as an attacking force but defensively they stuck to their task as Bournemouth again took control. Andrew Surman and Pugh both sent long-range efforts wide, but they were unable to produce the breakthrough that would have drawn a line under their early frustration.

Teams

Bournemouth (4-4-2): Begovic 7; A Smith 7, Francis 8, Ake 8, Daniels 7; Stanislas 7(Fraser 88), L Cook 8, Surman 7, Pugh 7 (Ibe 69); King 7, Defoe 6 (Afobe 81).

Subs not used: Boruc, S Cook, Gosling, Fraser, Mousset,.

Leicester City (4-4-2): Schmeichel 6; Simpson 6, Morgan 7, Maguire 6, Fuchs 6; Gray 5, King 5 (Iborra 46,6), Ndidi 6, Albrighton 6 (Mahrez 75,6) ; Okazaki 5 (Iheanacho 69,6), Vardy 6.

Subs not used: Hamer, Chilwell, Amartey, Slimani.

Referee: G Scott