Leicester see off Derby to reach FA Cup fifth round

Leicester City have booked their spot in the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 3-1 win over Derby County after extra-time at King Power Stadium.

A goalless first half burst into life in the second period with Andy King putting Leicester ahead, before Abdoul Camara levelled matters with a deflected free-kick for the Rams.

Neither side could find a winner in normal time and so the game went to extra time where Onyinye Ndidi and Demarai Gray both scored spectacular goals to give the Foxes the win and book an away tie against Millwall in the next round.

It was all change for Claudio Ranieri’s Foxes as the Tinkerman sought to change the fortunes of his side following their fourth Premier League defeat on the trot, with only Ahmed Musa retained from the side that were thrashed 3-0 by Man United on Sunday, while Islam Slimani was deemed fit enough to take a spot on the bench.

Rams boss Steve McClaren himself made eight changes for the tie - due to injuries and the proximity of the cup tie to Saturday’s Championship clash with Bristol City - including goalkeeper Jonathan Mitchell in for Scott Carson in nets, meaning both sides had a huge number of fringe players pushing their case for inclusion in the first XI.

A late Wes Morgan equaliser for the Foxes led to a 2-2 draw in the original tie, forcing a replay between the East Midlands sides.

A slow burner is probably the kindest description to apply to the opening period of the tie as both sides jostled and jockeyed but offered more or less nought in terms of attacking potent. A long-range effort from Bartosz Kapustka, which was quite some distance from the target, probably the best chance of the opening exchanges.

The Rams’ Scottish attacker Ikechi Anya made a fine run early doors down the left flank, but his final ball was ultimately lacking as it looped too high for the head of Nick Blackman. On the opposite flank Camara found himself in space but his curled effort toward top the top-left corner lacked the accuracy needed from what was an acute shooting angle.

Leicester had shouts for a penalty just before the half hour with Ireland international Richie Keogh sloppily giving away possession in the middle of the park, with Kaputska playing a through ball for Musa in the area; in a 50-50 Jason Shackell nudged the Foxes’ attacker off the ball, with cries of foul ringing out around the fans, but play being waved on.

Musa was again involved as Leicester came within inches of the lead. Gray broke down the right before firing a low drive across the face of goal with the waiting Musa needing just the slighest of touches to direct goalward and likely to the nets, but the Nigerian failed to connect as he lunged in.

The Foxes had a second shout for a penalty minutes before the break, with Keogh shoving Ben Chilwell in the back and the latter thudding against the turf as a result, it looked a clear spot-kick but once more Mike Jones waved away the claims.

Having been quiet in the tie for 20 minutes, Derby almost took the lead against the run of play, just before the break. A loose ball broke for Jacob Butterfield in midfield to smash the ball goalwards for Ron-Robert Zieler to tip wide of his right post, leaving the tie scoreless at the break.

Having seen 45 minutes of dross, a moment of quality in the first minute after the interval, broke the deadlock. A cross from the left flank reached Marc Albrighton to head into the path of King to head home from the close range.

You wait half a game for a goal and then two come along at once and with that second strike the game was level. A high boot from Albrighton near the head of Butterfield saw Derby win a free on the edge of the area, which Camara smashed at the wall and saw the ball take a huge deflection to hit the back of the net.

With six minutes left of normal time, Derby should have been reduced to ten men. Keeper Mitchell raced from his goal to intercept a long ball and clearly handballed outside the box in clearing only for the ref and his linesman to both miss the offence and in fact book Leicester’s Musa for protesting the decision.

In the last minute of the 90, Derby again got a huge let off, as an attempted chest to touch by Max Lowe from a Foxes cross hit the post before he scrambled clear as the game went to extra-time to find a winner.

Ranieri called Islam Slimani and Wilfred Ndidi into action for the extra 30 minutes and it had an immediate effect with Ndidi driving a fierce shot from 25 yards which made its way to the back of the net via the right post.

Derby continued to press with Russell going close with a glancing header, but the game was finally put to bed in the 114^th minute through individual brilliance from Gray. The striker picked up possession on the edge of the area, before dancing past two defenders and lofting the ball to the top-right corner.

Photo: Getty/Matthew Lewis

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