Leicester City 3 (Vardy 9, Drinkwater 48, Nugent 64) Charlton 0.
Kevin Nolan reports from the Kingpower Stadium.
A systematic going-over from the best side in the Championship was hardly recommended but Charlton will be wise to shrug this one off and put it down to bad experience. I’d advise them to “move on” if I fully understood what that fatuous phrase meant. It will console them that they’re finished with Leicester City this season and that they remain one of only five sides to have beaten them in the league. So I guess there’s a little “closure” to be found there. Someone get me help because this drivel seeps into your subconscious while you’re daydreaming.
A repetition of that outstanding result on August 31st was never remotely on the cards at the impressive Kingpower Stadium, where City gained emphatic revenge as well as disproving the theory that Charlton, after three consecutive wins over them, are their bogey team. In each of those victories, Yann Kermorgant had scored against his unlamented former club. On Saturday, he was strutting his stuff on the South Coast, where his hat-trick against Doncaster Rovers did his more genuinely missed ex-teammates a massive favour. The popular Breton is unlikely to be quite so helpful when Bournemouth visit The Valley on March 18th.
In the East Midlands, meanwhile, champions-elect Leicester show no signs of freezing as their return to the Premier League grows nearer. Relaxed and confident, the Foxes eased any potential pressure by scoring as early as the ninth minute before cruising smoothly through the rest of a resoundingly one-sided game. Charlton didn’t get a look-in but were mercifully spared a demoralising drubbing as their tormentors turned in an otherwise pitch-perfect performance. After their battling victories over QPR and Sheffield Wednesday, this was an unpleasant return to reality.
It might be stretching it a bit to compare Nigel Pearson’s well-schooled team with majestic Barcelona but their stall is set out to emulate the masters. Rarely dribbling past opponents, they prefer instead to progress through sharp passing to feet, which invites interceptions as the ball zips from player to player but offers few opportunities to do so. And 62 goals in 33 league games means they take their chances. Even at this modest level, Charlton were hitched to an exhausting carousel which has frustrated so many of Barcelona’s victims.
Not that they needed it, of course, but the Foxes also enjoyed a slice of luck in opening the scoring. As Richard Wood’s crunching challenge dispossessed Anthony Knockaert, David Nugent was allowed to turn unchallenged on a fortuitous ricochet from what looked suspiciously like an offside position. His nicely timed square pass was taken in stride by Jamie Vardy, who cut inside Rhoys Wiggins and finished unconvincingly through the goalline efforts of Lawrie Wilson.
As the Addicks chased ever elusive shadows, the issue was effectively reduced to a duel between City and Ben Hamer. Following on from his nobbins display at Hillsborough, the in-form keeper produced a string of defiant saves which technically, if not realistically, kept the outclassed visitors in with a chance.
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Before Vardy scored, Hamer had brilliantly blocked the mobile sharpshooter in a one-on-one clash, before diving full length to pluck Knockaert’s low cross off Ritchie De Laet’s feet at the far post. Confronted again by Vardy, he pounced on the striker’s faulty touch and beat him to the loose ball. In reply, the visitors managed a few scraps, most notable among which was the flighted ball from Michael Morrison which cleared a hesitant Jeffrey Schlupp but was unsuccessfully lobbed at Kaspar Schmeichel by Simon Church. More depressing for the Addicks was the sight of Morrison almost immediately leaving the field in distress. A packed agenda of fixtures would be far harder to negotiate without their key defender.
Three minutes after the break, Hamer was at it again only for his luck to run out this time. Having saved magnificently from Nugent, he was left helpless as Danny Drinkwater ferociously lashed the rebound high into the net.
Collapse was imminent but Hamer, aided by some wayward finishing from City, had other ideas. He reacted superbly to keep out another of Drinkwater’s blockbusters, his defiance inspiring a rare moment of activity at the other end, during which Wood strained to reach Astrit Ajdarevic’s wickedly delivered free kick but nodded it narrowly over the bar at the far post.
Midway through the second period, Nugent finally notched the goal his unremitting efforts deserved. Running directly into the heart of a wilting defence, he picked his spot for a low drive, struck expertly with the outside of his right foot, which beat Hamer on its way into the net off the left post.
Before the end there were more great saves from Hamer, easily the pick of them his stupendous parry of Nugent’s close range ripsnorter after fine work by hardrunning De Laet, possibly the division’s best right back. But the damage was limited to injured egos, bruised pride and boneweary limbs. None of them are beyond repair. And we’re free again to concentrate on the Cup. This train could be bound for glory, this train.
Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet, Morgan, Wasielewski, Schlupp, Mahrez, Drinkwatewr (Hammond 76), James (King 70), Knockaert, Nugent, Vardy (Wood 67). Not used: Moore, Taylor-Fletcher, Logan, Phillips. Booked: Vardy,
Charlton: Hamer, Wilson, Morrison (Dervite 21), Wood, Wiggins, Cousins (Hughes 60), Poyet, Adjarevic (Tudgay 60), Jackson, Harriott, Church. Not used: Green Ghoochannejhad, Thuram, Fox. Booked: Harriott, Poyet.
Referee: Jeremy Simpson. Att: 24,742 (867 visiting).