Leicester stun Blackburn

Leicester 2-0 Blackburn

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Marcus Bent and Steve Howey scored as Leicester snatched victory from Blackburn at the Walkers Stadium.

The Foxes scored with their only two attempts at goal to secure a valuable three points that lift them above Leeds and Rovers in the Premiership table.

But the problems mount for Rovers boss Graeme Souness, whose team have now lost their last five league matches - their worst sequence in the Premiership.

Until Bent's 73rd minute opener Rovers had seemed the only team likely to score, with Andy Cole wasting one good first-half chance and denied by an Ian Walker save later in the match.

Leicester went into the match with a totally different back four from the side that surrendered a three goal lead at Wolves last weekend.

And Micky Adams team were clearly determined to avoid conceding a goal.

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It took 29 minutes for the first real strike at goal, Brett Emerton's snap-shot drifting wide of Walker's goal.

The hustle and bustle of the opening half hour produced no moments of real quality but an abundance of niggling fouls, desperate tackles and misplaced passes.

Cole should have put Rovers in front two minutes after Emerton's miss but the veteran striker blazed over the Leicester crossbar from 12 yards after a neat lay-off from Dwight Yorke.

Rovers claimed for a penalty when Andy Impey appeared to use his arm to block Vratislav Gresko's cross, but referee Dermot Gallagher waved play-on.

KEY MOMENTS 32 mins: Cole misses from 12 yards 63 mins: Walker saves from Cole 73 mins: Bent scores for Leicester 82 mins: Howey secures Leicester's win

Rovers appeared to possess marginally more flair up front and Yorke put the ball in the Leicester net moments before the break but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Rovers continued to play the more precise, controlled football after half time, with Cole smashing the ball just wide after linking well with Yorke.

Cole again came close to breaking the deadlock after Yorke's blocked shot ran across goal and into his path, but the striker was denied by a superb goalline save from Walker.

But having mustered virtually nothing all afternoon, Leicester stunned Blackburn by taking the lead.

Muzzy Izzet's teasing free-kick was guided home by Bent, bending his right leg around Gresko and deftly side-footing past Brad Friedel.

Howey took the match out of Blackburn's reach with seven minutes left, bundling the ball home from short range after Matt Elliott headed the ball into his path.

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Leicester: Walker, Impey, Sinclair (Elliott 72), Howey, Stewart, Gillespie (Thatcher 61), Izzet, McKinlay, Scowcroft, Ferdinand (Dickov 67), Bent.
Subs Not Used: Coyne, Hignett.

Booked: Howey, Dickov.

Blackburn: Friedel, Neill, Babbel, Todd, Gresko (Reid 82), Emerton, Flitcroft (Tugay 79), Ferguson, Thompson, Cole, Yorke.
Subs Not Used: Yelldell, Jansen, Martin Taylor.

Booked: Emerton.

Attendance: 30,975

Referee: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).