Foxes too strong for Terriers
Leicester secured their eighth win of the season to put their promotion bid back on track in an action-packed clash with Huddersfield.
A 10th-minute strike from James Vardy and an own goal by Anthony Gerrard gave the Foxes a 2-1 victory in the Sky Bet Championship game at the King Power Stadium.
Battling Huddersfield hit back with an own goal from Paul Konchesky but then had James Vaughan sent off for pushing Marcin Wasilewski to the ground in the 82nd minute.
Liam Moore, named the Football League young player of the month, found himself switched to right-back after Ritchie De Laet was ruled out with a shin injury.
Poland international Wasilewski came in at centre-back. Huddersfield switched to a 3-4-3 formation and in a wide open and entertaining first half, both sides created plenty of chances.
But it was the Foxes who gained the advantage with two goals, although Huddersfield could well have been level but for some fine saves from Kasper Schmeichel, who more than made up for his mistake that sent City to defeat at Doncaster two weeks ago.
He pulled off a point-blank stop to deny Vaughan in the sixth minute after a low cross from Paul Dixon and the Foxes celebrated their escape by netting the opener in the 10th minute. David Nugent broke clear from the halfway line and set up Vardy who hammered home a great shot from the right channel.
Schmeichel was in action again five minutes later saving a deflected header, before Nugent once again raced clear but with only Alex Smithies to beat fired straight at the goalkeeper.
The Terriers swept straight up field and Vaughan drove in a fierce shot from inside the penalty area that again brought the best out of Schmeichel.
And in the 35th minute the Foxes' number one pulled off an other excellent save to deny Danny Ward who then blazed the rebound over the bar.
The action remained fast and furious and the Foxes increased their lead in the 38th minute. Anthony Knockaert put over a inswinging corner and , under pressure from Wes Morgan, Terriers defender Gerrard headed into his own net trying to clear.
It was now all Leicester and as half-time approached Moore and Knockaert both had fierce shots saved by Smithies.
The home side came out all guns blazing in the in the second half and Lloyd Dyer created a good chance for Nugent but a weak finish allowed Smithies to save. Then Vardy had a shot blocked and Nugent side-footed the rebound wide.
Smithies was brought into action again when Andy King let fly from 30 yards, but the goalkeeper was up to the task with a full-length save. Then in the 67th minute substitute Sean Scannell, brought on six minutes earlier, went round Morgan and his low shot that looked to be going wide was deflected into the net by Konchesky to give Huddersfield a lifeline.
The Foxes thought they should have had a penalty in the 79th minute when Peter Clarke looked to handle a shot from substitute Matty James, but referee James Adcock ignored their appeals and Dyer then blazed a great chance over the bar.
The Terriers were still battling for an equaliser but in the 82nd min they were reduced to 10 men when Vaughan was sent off after flattening Wasilewski with a two-handed push in the back, and City held on for their fifth home win of the season.
Source: PA
Source: PA