We controlled the ball well for 20 minutes. We looked sharp and brave in possession. Caleb Folan opened the scoring and Bryan Hughes hit weakly at the far post after Garcia crafter a great opening. On the other side, Garcia couldn't connect properly after Hughes skipped past three defenders and crossed superbly to the back post. We were nervous at the back, but well on top overall and looking good. After that though, we stopped playing completely. Possibly because we'd freed Folan so well for the goal, we started to look for the ball over the top far too early and far too often and spent the second quarter giving the ball away with alarming regularity.
It took a while for us to regain the composure and we didn't create too many more chances from open play. What we did create tended to come from the excellent Andy Dawson down the left. Leicester couldn't live with him, he pushed on at every opportunity and linked superbly with Bryan Hughes who played three incredible balls inside the Leicester full-back for Dawson to latch on to. Dawson was composed at the back too and surely did enough to hold on to his place. Generally, our pressure in the last three quarters of the game came from putting pressure on their defence, starting with Caleb Folan, who chased every thing. Windass followed suit and won the penalty after nicking the ball from N'Gotty. He missed again, surely the last time he takes one, but Campbell popped in the rebound.
Defensively, we grew into the game. In the first 10-15 minutes, we looked a bit unsure and Bo had to make a fine (lucky?) save to keep them out. Twice the ball came in from their right and we didn't deal with it. As said, we grew into the game and Brown and Turner dealt with everything they threw at us. Ricketts was rarely troubled but kept calm when he was. Leicester didn't manage another decent effort for 60 minutes, which says it all about how well we did. Ashbee did a fine job too, stopping their midfielders from being able to make killer passes. Marney and Ashbee worked hard to form a road block and Leicester couldn't take advantage of the pace of Hume and Fryatt up front. The 4-4-2 is the best formation for us. It gives us a solid base going backwards and good options going forward. Everyone looks more comfortable with it and it gets Garcia involved, which at the moment is a very good thing. Okocha isn't worth a place at the moment and whatever we have to do to accommodate him makes us weaker, not stronger. Thumbs up to Phil Brown for making the decision today. Thumbs down for his final substitution though. Taking Windass off was the right move, but introducing Livermore and switching to 4-5-1 wasn't. It invited Leicester's only spell of pressure because we couldn't keep the ball up front. They were dead and buried and on the back foot in a big way. Introducing McPhee to hold up the ball and run at tired defenders would have been the better move.
Folan received the new KCFM man of the match award which was fair enough. He scored a super goal and ran himself into the ground. He chased every lost cause and created half chances out of nothing. We needed to defend from the front today to stop Leicester gaining any momentum and to stop them using the ball well from the back. Windass was a bit off colour. He still made both goals but his general play was below par. Moves broke down when he was in possession, which doesn't happen often. He also frustrated twice by playing the ball back into Marney when he and Folan where 2 on 2 with the defence. Obviously, you generally play the way you are facing, but Deano has the ability to turn on the ball and play killer through balls. Laying off to Marney slowed any momentum and on both occasions, Folan was offside from the through ball. Deano over hit a pass that would have put Hughes in 1 on 1 with the goalie and then got himself a booking, and therefore a suspension, for a stupid tackle in the second half.
The midfield worked quite well. Ash and Marney covered every bit of grass, harried and tackled and used the ball simply. Hughes had his best game in a while. He combined well with Dawson, put in some good crosses and helped out the back 4. He still gave the ball away cheaply at times and delivered poor set pieces. Garcia put in the best crosses we managed and worked touchline to touchline, literally. Ricketts was quiet going forward, so they didn't combine like Daws and Hughes did. We didn't have the spark we've had in some games from the midfield, but we looked more rigid and confident and Hughes and Garcia worked hard to be effective at both ends.
In the end, it was exactly the sort of 'dirty' performance we needed after the last 2 results. Huge credit to the players. It'd be easy to sulk and slip into a 3 or 4 game losing run, but we showed plenty of bottle to reverse the trend. We kept a clean sheet comfortably and had enough ability to open Leicester up 4 or 5 times. The manager picked the best players in the best positions, save perhaps for Fraiser Campbell. Phil Brown has said that it'll be the end of the road for 4 or 5 of our players in January. If Andy Dawson was on that list, I'd suggest he changed PB's mind today. We still need a left back though. Neither Dawson nor Delaney are consistent enough to play left-back at this level. Seth Johnson might come into the reckoning again, although Pedersen and Okocha will play on PB's mind when he makes a decision. Of PB's summer signings, the biggest successes have been Brown and Garcia, brought in from Colchester. Folan, Okocha, Hughes, Pedersen and JJ have all disappointed, for various reasons and they cost big money. PB's biggest successes have been players that Parkinson brought in. Turner, Ricketts and Marney have been 3 of the best 5 performers of the season so far. Perhaps Browny should let someone else buy the players and then he can mould them! Despite Hughes improved effort today, we still need a left winger if Pedersen isn't going to be fit, we need someone to provide competition at full back and centre-back and possibly someone in the midfield who can change the game when all is not well.
Ratings: Myhill 7, Ricketts 6, Dawson 8, Turner 6, Brown 7, Garcia 7, Hughes 7, Ashbee 7, Marney 6, Windass 6 (Livermore), Folan 8 (Campbell).