Leicester v Derby

Nugent 21′ Vassell 44′ Schlupp 88′ Dyer 90′

Derby 0

FT 90 +6
HT 2-0

Leicester 4-0 Derby

David Nugent scored a superbly crafted opener as Leicester City cruised to victory over high-flying East Midlands rivals Derby County.

The hosts led when an incisive counter-attack saw Nugent race on to a glorious first-time Gelson Fernandes pass and slot home past keeper Frank Fielding.

Darius Vassell made it 2-0 when he fired in from six yards.

The Rams improved after the break but substitutes Jeffrey Schlupp and Lloyd Dyer fired late goals to seal the win.

Schlupp's fine 88th-minute turn and finish and Dyer's low injury-time shot which went straight through Frank Fielding was perhaps harsh on a Derby side who controlled possession for large spells of the second period.

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Despite showing plenty of confidence on the ball and signs of a team who were third in the Championship table after the afternoon matches and could have gone top with a win, they were unable to create any clear-cut openings.

Gareth Roberts fizzed just about their only meaningful strike well wide in first-half injury time.

Steven Davies also narrowly missed out on getting on the end of a vicious cross from the lively Ben Davies, while Jason Shackell headed over late on.

However, the damage had been done in the first period which saw the Foxes dominate and overpower their opponents.

Leicester played with good tempo and showed some impressive one-touch football and that was typified by a stunning opening goal.

A sweeping move involving some superb interplay from Yuki Abe, Vassell and Fernandes was brilliantly finished by the jet-heeled Nugent as he bore down on Fielding.

Nugent was playing his first game back after a month out with a hamstring injury but showed no signs of nursing his injury and was just what the goal-shy hosts needed having scored just nine goals in their nine league matches before facing the Rams.

The hosts were dominating and Sol Bamba had a towering effort cleared off the line by Roberts before Nugent nearly doubled the lead only to see his effort from Andy King's drilled cross disallowed for handball when the ball bounced up, hit his arm and went into the net.

However, moments later the home fans did have a second goal to cheer. Derby missed a couple of opportunities to clear and Vassell crashed the ball home from six yards after Neil Danns' powerful strike rebounded off the foot of the post.

The visitors' improvement, in a largely uneventful second period, failed to produce much goal threat and Leicester, marshalled superbly by Matt Mills at the back, sealed their win with two late goals.

Schlupp grabbed the first with a neat turn and poacher's finish when Derby failed to clear a set-piece.

And Dyer latched on to Steve Howard's excellent flicked header to fire past Fielding to extend their unbeaten league run to seven games and move them up to within a point of the play-off places.

Lineup, Bookings (3) & Substitutions (5)

Leicester City

01 Schmeichel
02 Peltier
03 Konchesky
05 Mills
06 Bamba Booked
10 King
22 Abe
23 Danns (Dyer - 78' )
26 Fernandes
13 Vassell (Howard - 83' )
35 Nugent (Schlupp - 70' )

Substitutes

21 Weale
04 Pantsil
11 Dyer
27 Schlupp
09 Howard

Derby County

01 Fielding
02 Brayford
03 Roberts
06 Shackell Booked
24 O'Brien
04 Bryson
18 B Davies
23 Hendrick Booked
07 S Davies (Croft - 72' )
10 Ward (Doyle - 90' )
21 Robinson

Substitutes

13 Legzdins
12 Anderson
22 Croft
26 Kilbane
14 Doyle

Ref: H Webb

Att: 22,496

Match Stats

Possession 48 52

Shots

20 11

On target

13 4

Corners

4 6

Fouls

12 11

Live Text Commentary

90:00 +5:04 Full time

Full Time The match has reached full-time.

90:00 +4:51

Drilled right-footed shot by Steve Howard. Save by Frank Fielding.

90:00 +3:05

Lee Peltier takes the direct free kick.

90:00 +3:05 Booking

Booking Jason Shackell is cautioned by the ref for unsporting behaviour.

90:00 +2:48

Jason Shackell challenges Andy King unfairly and gives away a free kick.

90:00 +0:59

Steve Howard provided the assist for the goal.

90:00 +0:59 Goal scored

Goal - Lloyd Dyer - Leicester 4 - 0 Derby Lloyd Dyer fires in a goal from inside the penalty area low into the middle of the goal. Leicester 4-0 Derby.

90:00 +0:10

Conor Doyle takes a shot. Yuki Abe gets a block in. Theo Robinson produces a right-footed shot from the edge of the box and misses to the right of the goal.

88:58

Free kick taken by Craig Bryson.

88:58 Substitution

Substitution Conor Doyle joins the action as a substitute, replacing Jamie Ward.

88:58

Yuki Abe challenges Craig Bryson unfairly and gives away a free kick.

87:20

The assist for the goal came from Matt Mills.

87:20 Goal scored

Goal - Jeffery Schlupp - Leicester 3 - 0 Derby Jeffery Schlupp finds the back of the net with a goal from close in low into the middle of the goal. Leicester 3-0 Derby.

86:49

Corner from the left by-line taken by Paul Konchesky,

86:37

Steve Howard takes a shot. Save by Frank Fielding.

85:09

Corner taken by Ben Davies played to the near post, Steve Howard manages to make a clearance.

84:19

Foul by Steve Howard on John Brayford, free kick awarded. John Brayford takes the direct free kick.

82:34 Substitution

Substitution Steve Howard on for Darius Vassell.

80:22

Outswinging corner taken by Ben Davies, Close range header by Jason Shackell goes over the bar.

77:58 Substitution

Substitution Neil Danns leaves the field to be replaced by Lloyd Dyer.

77:37

The ball is crossed by Ben Davies.

76:47

Outswinging corner taken by Ben Davies from the right by-line.

74:22

Theo Robinson is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Free kick taken by Kasper Schmeichel.

71:14 Substitution

Substitution Lee Croft comes on in place of Steve Davies.

70:59

Effort on goal by Andy King from outside the box goes harmlessly over the bar.

70:12

Jamie Ward takes a shot. Save made by Kasper Schmeichel.

69:18 Substitution

Substitution Jeffery Schlupp comes on in place of David Nugent.