Match Reports

Match Report : 01/03/2016

Albion move on to 36 points with 10 games remaining

  • Rondon's seventh goal of season opens scoring (11)
  • Drinkwater (30) and King (45+1) put Foxes ahead
  • Gardner's stunning free-kick levels matters (50)
  • Attendance: 32,018 (2,061 Albion fans)
  • Albion Star Man: Craig Gardner
SUPERB Albion claimed an impressive point from an enthralling and breathless 2-2 draw at Barclays Premier League leaders Leicester City.

The Baggies made the perfect start at the King Power Stadium, fashioning another goal for Salomon Rondon with a super pass from Darren Fletcher aimed behind Robert Huth. The striker held off Huth’s challenge and scored with a firm drive which had enough power to defy Kasper Schmeichel’s half stop.

But a steady build up of pressure saw Leicester back in charge by the interval. Danny Drinkwater’s drive from 20 yards out took a deflection off Jonas Olsson which looped the ball over a helpless Ben Foster before a super move was coolly finished off by Andy King on the stroke of half-time.

In between those goals Stephane Sessegnon so nearly unlocked the Foxes with a piercing cross which begged a finish but eluded Craig Gardner at the far post.

But the impressive midfielder got his name on the scoresheet just five minutes after the restart, sending an inch-perfect 25-yard free-kick over the wall and beyond a helpless Schmeichel.

With Jamie Vardy having earlier headed against the crossbar, the Foxes found the woodwork for a second time just before the hour mark, Shinji Okazaki seeing his header clip the top of the crossbar from Marc Albrighton's cross.

Rondon couldn’t convert from close range as Craig Dawson's shot came in before Albion were indebted to Foster, who made a series of fine saves as the hosts went in search of a winner - the Baggies keeper denying Vardy, Wes Morgan and substitute Jeffrey Schlupp to secure a hard-fought point. 

LEICESTER CITY: Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs (Gray 79); Mahrez, Drinkwater, King, Albrighton (Schlupp 63); Vardy, Okazaki (Ulloa 63).

Subs: Schwarzer, Amartey, Wasilewski, Inler.

ALBION: Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Chester; Sessegnon (Sandro 90+3), Fletcher, Yacob, Gardner (McClean 83); Berahino, Rondon (Anichebe 90+2).

Subs: Myhill, Gamboa, Lambert, Pritchard.

Bookings: Sessegnon (31, dissent); Chester (89, foul)

Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Gosforth)