Leicester vs Swansea match report: Leonardo Ulloa and Andy King strike to lift Foxes off the bottom in victory over Swans
Leicester 2 Swansea 0: Leicester continue their survival campaign with a vital win to move them to within a whisker of rising out of the drop zone
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Your support makes all the difference.Every Leicester City fan received a paper clapper before kick-off yesterday and they had plenty to applaud as Nigel Pearson’s side climbed off the foot of the table for the first time since November.
In beating Swansea City, they completed a hat-trick of Premier League wins for the first time in 15 years and gave their survival hopes a boost.
It was reward for a high-octane performance from Pearson’s men, who, having become the only team in the bottom eight to win three in a row this season, climbed up to 18th place, level on 28 points with fourth-bottom Hull City. The cry of “We are staying up” – rather than the peculiar rattle of those paper clappers – filled the King Power Stadium at the final whistle and Pearson acknowledged that his team’s sudden winning sequence was “a big plus”.
“We’ve given ourselves a more realist chance now,” said Pearson, whose side visit Burnley next Saturday. “We have got six games left, four at home, and have to perform well in those games to retain our status. We are still in a difficult situation and have to make sure our fate remains in our own hands.”
Leicester took the lead after 15 minutes through Leonardo Ulloa, a player who started the game only because David Nugent suffered a calf problem in the warm-up. The Argentinian flicked on Marcin Wasilewski’s long ball into the box and, as Wes Morgan held it up, Ulloa strode forward and drilled a shot into the bottom corner of the net for his first league goal since Boxing Day
.
“Leo has had a really good season for us,” said Pearson of his £8m record signing, who showed his delight at scoring by running to embrace Jon Sanders, his club’s player liaison officer. “There is always going to be talk about how long a striker goes without a goal and I’d like him to score goals, but as long as he does what we expect him to do in the team, we are not too bothered.”
Ulloa’s strike followed a high-energy start from the home side, who, playing with three strikers, pressed Swansea relentlessly and were first to every second ball. Garry Monk, the Swansea manager, admitted: “We got outfought a little bit.”
Leicester might have scored either side of half-time as Marc Albrighton (twice) and Andrej Kramaric shot narrowly wide.
Swansea improved in the second period but, in the 66th minute, missed a pivotal opportunity through Nelson Oliveira, deputising for the injured, and sorely missed, Bafétimbi Gomis. The on-loan Benfica forward rode a challenge from Robert Huth in the box but failed to beat Kasper Schmeichel, who saved brilliantly with his foot.
At the other end, Leicester should have added a second goal on a two-on-one breakaway but Jamie Vardy put too much weight on his pass to substitute Riyad Mahrez and Lukasz Fabianski was able to narrow the angle and save. As it was, a mistake by the Swansea goalkeeper ended any doubt about the outcome, Fabianski spilling a free-kick by Esteban Cambiasso and Andy King burying the loose ball.
Leicester: (3-4-1-2) Schmeichel; Wasilewski (De Laet, 46), Huth, Morgan; Albrighton, King, Cambiasso, Schlupp; Kramaric (Drinkwater, 75); Ulloa (Mahrez 68), Vardy.
Swansea: (4-4-2) Fabianski; Rangel, Fernandez, Williams, Amat; Cork, Ki (Montero, 58), Shelvey, Sigurdsson; Routledge (Dyer, 70), Oliveira (Emnes, 75).
Referee: Lee Probert
Man of the match: King (Leicester)
Match rating: 6/10
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