Everton and Foxes draw blank

Walker made a fine save from Naysmith in the first half

Leicester 0-0 Everton

Leicester continued their struggles in front of goal as they drew an uninspiring blank against Everton at Filbert Street.

Clear-cut chances were in short supply as two teams with poor scoring records struggled to impose any authority on a scrappy game.

How the Leicester faithful must have wished that former striker Stan Collymore, a spectator at the game, was still at the club.

One of the biggest cheers of the day came as Everton sent on another wayward star, Paul Gascoigne.

We could have edged it, but we just need a cutting edge and need to be able to put the ball into the net

Dave Bassett

But the former England lynchpin could do nothing to break the deadlock.

Leicester went close in the 54th minute when Frank Sinclair rose to meet a Dennis Wise corner.

But his goal-bound downward header was hacked to safety by Gary Naysmith.

James Scowcroft, paired up front with Ade Akinbiyi by Foxes boss Dave Bassett in his search for goals, also had the chance to seal victory late on.

Shake off

Trevor Benjamin, on for Akinibyi, nodded the ball onto his fellow striker's chest but Everton keeper Steve Simonsen did well to smother Scowcroft's close-range effort.

Akinbiyi, with early encouragement from the home fans, fashioned two chances for himself in the opening six minutes, shooting from 25 and 18 yards.

The much-criticised £5m striker also blasted straight at Simonsen from six yards in the 21st minute after doing well to shake off Stubbs in the Everton box.

Steve Watson could have put the visitors ahead five minutes earlier but failed to connect properly with Naysmith's cross inside the Leicester area.

No-one can really complain about it being 0-0

Walter Smith

Naysmith then forced Walker to tip his 18-yard strike over the bar.

But that was as close as either side came to breaking the deadlock in the disappointing first period of what proved to be a poor game.

Ironically, the home fans then discovered that Dean Sturridge, loaned out by Bassett to Wolves this week, had scored on his debut.

Leicester have now found the net just seven times this season.

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Leicester: Walker, Marshall, Elliott, Sinclair, Davidson, Savage, Wise, Izzet, Impey, Akinbiyi, Scowcroft. Subs: Royce, Rogers, Oakes, Jones, Benjamin.

Everton: Simonsen, Pistone, Weir, Stubbs, Unsworth, Alexandersson, Gemmill, Gravesen, Naysmith, Radzinski, Watson. Subs: Gerrard, Pembridge, Gascoigne, Moore, Xavier.

Referee: U Rennie (Sheffield).