West Brom 1-2 Leicester: Harry Winks grabs a 94th-minute winner for the Foxes to extend their lead at the top of the Championship
- Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall opened the scoring for before Josh Maja’s late leveller
- Harry Winks earned all three points for Enzo Maresca’s side in the 94th minute
- Burnley are drowning so why is Vincent Kompany exempt from criticism? It’s almost not fair! It’s All Kicking Off
There were times this clash between the Championship’s early pace setters and its form side looked as though it would fail to live up to its star billing.
For the first 70 minutes, this was more a game of cat and mouse than two heavyweight sluggers trading blows.
Carlos Corberan’s Baggies are flying and looked to have nicked a late point through substitute Josh Maja at the death after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had put the visitors in front at the Hawthorns.
But there was to be one more late twist as Leicester caught the hosts on the break, allowing Winks to pounce in the 94th-minute as Enzo Maresca’s side ultimately proved to be the cat that got the cream.
It was a dream return to the ground where Maresca first cut his teeth as a player in football. But more importantly for the Italian, it is a win that arrests an alarming slump of form that saw Leicester win only once in the league in November.
Harry Winks grabbed a last minute winner for Leicester to extend their lead at the top of the Championship
The away side capitalised on West Brom’s attempts to grab a late winner themselves and bounced on the counter attack
Josh Maja thought he had at least earned the Baggies a point after coming on as a substitute
West Brom went toe-to-toe with the leaders from the off and started brightly, though they were helped by some wayward distribution from Foxes goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
The Dane gifted away possession and was grateful to see Kipre’s left-footed effort from the resulting corner strike the foot of the post.
Hermansen misfired again moments later – doing little to help turn the tide in his team’s favour – and allowed the bright Brandon Thomas-Asante a shot on goal, which the keeper managed to gather.
But there is always a sense that when this Leicester side finds a way to turn it on in attack then no defence in the division is capable of keeping them out.
Iheanacho should have put the visitors ahead with the clearest chance of the half after Semi Ajayi completely misread but the Nigerian dragged his shot horribly wide.
The game eventually began to open up as the second half progressed and you sensed that favoured Leicester, who brought on the fresh legs of Abdul Fatawu out wide. Fatawu combined with Wilfred Ndidi, who saw his shot parried away by Palmer.
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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall opened the scoring with a fine header in the 72nd minute of the tie
Wilfred Ndidi walked away with the Player of the Match award after a fine display which included the assist for Dewsbury-Hall’s opener
MATCH FACTS & PLAYER RATINGS
West Brom (4-2-3-1): Palmer 6; Furlong 5.5, Ajayi 5.5, Kipre 5.5, Townsend 5.5; Yokuslu 6, Mowatt 5.5 (Molumby 76); Sarmiento 5.5 (Fellows 75), Diangana 6 (Maja 75), Phillips 5.5 (Swift 45+1mins, 6); Thomas-Asante 6.5.
Subs not used: Griffiths, Pieters, Pipa, Taylor.
Booked: Mowatt 63, Yokuslu 74
Goals: Maja 89
Manager: Carlos Corberan 5.5
Leicester (4-3-3): Hermansen 5; Pereira 5.5, Faes 6, Vestergaard 6, Justin 5; Ndidi 6 (Casadei 87), Winks 6.5, Dewsbury-Hall 7; McAteer 5, Iheanacho 5.5, Mavididi 5.5 (Fatawu 61, 6).
Subs not used: Stolarczyk, Coady, Vardy, Souttar, Choudhury, Cannon, Akgun.
Booked: Pereira 66
Goals: Dewsbury-Hall 73, Winks 90+4
Manager: Enzo Maresca 6
Referee: Tim Robinson
It was that same combination who finally ended the stalemate as Ndidi’s clipped ball across the box found Dewsbury-Hall, who timed his run from midfield to perfection and headed home from inside the box.
Leicester looked to have thrown their three points away with only minutes of normal time remaining. Maresca’s side failed to clear their lines five times from a long throw, allowing Maja to pounce and turn the ball home.
The hosts pushed for a late winner but were made to pay for their sense of adventure in the most brutal of ways.
Iheanacho led the quick break when West Brom committed too many men forward in attack and played in Dewsbury-Hall. Rather than go for his second, the midfielder squared it to Winks who applied the simplest of finishes.
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