Sven Goran-Eriksson made just one change to the starting eleven that took all three points away at Nigel Pearson’s Hull City on Saturday – popular Bruno Berner reclaimed his place at Left Back after Greg Cunningham’s loan spell at City was agonisingly cut short after suffering a broken leg last time out.
The home side - and in particular the rejuvenated Berner - could not have hoped for a better start when they took the lead in the fourth minute.
Paul Gallagher found space for a shot from close range but his effort was deflected wide and the winger stepped up to take the resulting in-swinging corner. His cross was met by Bruno Berner's header at the near post and despite the best efforts of the Swans’ defence, the ball squeezed over the line to hand the Foxes the lead.
Leicester looked comfortable in possession after their early breakthrough but were soon pegged back by a wonderful piece of passing play around the box that culminated in Scott Sinclair smashing a sensational 15 yard drive into Weale’s bottom left hand corner to level matters after just eleven minutes.
After Swansea’s equaliser, it was the Foxes who looked the more threatening and Darius Vassell in particular posed a menacing threat to the Swansea backline.
On 19 minutes, Vassell was picked out superbly by Andy King but the former England international could only fire his shot wide of De Vries’ goal.
Ten minutes later the Foxes sprung another attack on the Swansea defence, this time the pacey Lloyd Dyer – with a clear path to goal – opted to thread the ball to Richie Wellens when a shot on goal seemed the better option. Wellens was able to connect with the pass but appeared to trip before he could pull the trigger. Penalty appeals rightly fell on deaf ears.
Wellens was again involved on 40 minutes when he intercepted a loose pass in midfield before sending an inch perfect through ball into the path of Vassell, but the striker’s effort was blocked out by the onrushing ‘keeper.
Vassell was finally rewarded for his attacking endeavour when he found the net in true poacher’s fashion minutes before half time.
The Foxes were again asking questions of the Swans’ defence when Lloyd Dyer won a corner. The ball was whipped in by Gallagher and headed powerfully at goal by Michael Morrison. The strike was well saved by De Vries but the ‘keeper could only watch as Vassell poked home the rebound from close range to hand Leicester a deserved lead.
Swansea did come close to equalising yet again on the stroke of half time but midfielder Agustien’s powerful long range effort flew harmlessly past Chris Weale’s post.
The home side began the second period in the same confident manner that they began the first and nearly doubled their lead on 46 minutes when another accurate centre from Paul Gallagher was met by Andy King, but City’s top scorer could only direct his header wide from eight yards out.
Bruno Berner nearly capitalised on another delivery from Gallagher on 54 minutes but his fierce shot across goal evaded a packed penalty area when just the slightest contact could have put the Foxes out of sight.
Vassell was put through on goal by the impressive Richie Wellens on 68 minutes and the Foxes faithful must have thought they had clinched it when he fired the ball at goal but Dorus De Vries made an incredible stop, getting a strong hand on Vassell’s strike before gathering and holding the ball when the striker chased a rebound.
Swansea were doing all the chasing but Eriksson’s men were totally dominant midway through the second half. However they just couldn’t find the all important third goal and a predictably tense final fifteen minutes would unfold.
Leicester were nearly made to pay for their failure to find a third goal on 77 minutes when Sinclair raced through on goal after beating the offside trap, but his shot flew agonisingly wide of Chris Weale’s left hand post when the ‘keeper had been left stranded.
The Foxes quickly recovered from that scare and kept the ball well for the final ten minutes, never looking in danger of conceding what would have been a cruel leveller.
The win sees Leicester climb the Championship table to 12th whilst Swansea fall out of the automatic promotion places into Third.