Leicester City 5-1 Scunthorpe United
Walkers Stadium
Coca-Cola Championship - Saturday, February 13, 2010

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FULL TIME

Leicester 5-1 Scunthorpe

That's it then for today, game over! A dismal first half cost Scunthorpe dearly as a clinical Leicester tore them apart. There was a slight second half improvement but the game was out of sight by then. The Iron will have to be much better when they host Barnsley on Tuesday night. Fortunately, Reading weren't in league action so United remain 21st in the table and one point away from the relegation places.

This afternoon's result will have done the goal difference no good whatsoever though. That might be worth an extra point come the end of the campaign.

SECOND HALF

90min. Four minutes of stoppage time are indicated. City are in the ascendency still but their shooting is more wayward than in the first half.

82min. Very nearly six, as Murphy cleared the ball from the left angle of his penalty area and it reached the Scot, Gallagher, who curled towards the empty goal from 40 yards but saw his effort go wide.

77min. City substitute Solano has just had the shot of the game, sending a rasping shot goalwards from 30 yards which Murphy tipped over the crossbar for a corner, from which nothing notable came.

73min. GOAL! 5-1 to Leicester and it's a hat-trick for Gallagher, who found himself in space in the area after a ball in from the left and clipped the ball over the onrushing Murphy with his head. It took an age to go in and was a gift of a goal to seal his treble, adding to the punishment for United and their supporters. The Foxes fans are doing Mexican waves in celebration of their team's huge advantage.

Leicester 5-1 Scunthorpe

69min. It's been a tame second half, probably how United wanted it though after a dismal opening period. Waghorns free-kick has just gone well over the crossbar from 25 yards.

63min. Though not quite the attacking force they were in the first half, City just came close again as Dyer's volley goes over the crossbar.

61min. Leicester fail to clear an Iron corner and O'Connor volleys a miscalculated strike well wide.

60min. Double change for Leicester. Morrison and Oakley (who takes an age to leave the field) are replaced by Nolberto Solano and Yann Kermorgant.

57min. The Iron are growing in confidence as an attacking force, as a flowing move was just topped off with Hooper laying the ball on for O'Connor, who struck wide of goal.

55min. A Leicester attack breaks down and the home fans get restless for a moment before realising that they're 4-1 up. Scunthorpe have looked much better so far in the second half. Can they restore some pride?

54min. GOAL! Is a legendary comeback on? Togwell has just reduced Leicester's lead, bundling home at the front post after Hayes' shot took a deflection off him. Raynes had a big part to play in the goal, charging down the right and laying it on for Hayes.

Leicester 4-1 Scunthorpe

52min. Hayes and Hooper came close to conjuring up an opportunity then following Weale's poor clearance, but the latter was adjudged to be offside when played through.

50min. Mirfin has just made a good diving defensive header from Gallagher's right-wing cross as the Foxes threatened again.

48min. Paul Hayes, in his white boots, has just hooked a volleyed effort over the crossbar from the edge of the area.

46min. No half-time changes by the Iron. Here's hoping they can limit the damage in the second half.

HALF-TIME

Leicester 4-0 Scunthorpe

The scoreline says it all. City have been dominant going forward and have got more confident with every goal. They could have had more too. True, Scunthorpe have had the odd chance, but stern words will be said by Nigel Adkins at the interval no doubt. I'd expect changes for the second half too.

Attendance: 21,626 (500 away approx).

FIRST HALF

45min. Andy King has just had a clipped effort deflected into the arms of Joe Murphy.

44min. O'Connor has just tested Weale with a speculative effort from distance, shooting hard and low but the former Yeovil goalkeeper got down well to save.

43min. Hooper just tried to speed past a couple of defenders but was tackled, McCann received the loose ball but his curling effort was blocked before it tested Weale.

42min. Does that count as a shot on target? Raynes receives the ball from Josh Wright and sends in a deep ball from the right which Weale has to race back to his goal-line to catch.

39min. The score could be by much more as well. If the game could end now, surely all the Scunthorpe players would take it now and go home.

36min. GOAL! City are four up. Waghorn wellies the ball past Murphy after a cross was only partly cleared by Raynes. He received the ball in space and dispatched beyond Murphy. Surely the game is out of Scunthorpe's reach now. The City fans are dancing in celebration.

Leicester 4-0 Scunthorpe

35min. They're still working hard but United's players are looking downbeat at the minute

33min, Summing up his side's luck today, McCann receives the ball in space in midfield but falls over it as the Foxes launch another attack.

32min. Dyer, who is loving it today, very nearly made it 4-0, latching on to a long ball and half-volleying just wide of Murphy's bottom right-hand post with an effort from the left of the area.

29min. The way City are constantly attacking the Iron is reminiscent of Sheffield Wednesday in their 4-0 tonking of United at Hillsborough in August.

25min. GOAL! The Foxes have added to their lead from the subsequent free-kick. Gallagher stepped up and curled a delightful effort beyond Murphy from 20 yards out on the left angle. Superb strike, unfortunately it goes from bad to worse for United. Getting a bit sick of hearing 'Fire' by Kasabian now!

Leicester 3-0 Scunthorpe

25min. Raynes is fortunate not to be in the book after fouling Dyer just on the edge of the 18-yard box as the former MK Dons winger sped through down the left flank.

21min. Here in the press box we have a TV nearby and former Arsenal and England midfielder Paul Merson is watching our game from the warmth of the Gillette Soccer Saturday studios. He feels the Iron are still in the game. We need to restrict the Foxes because they're attacking all too easily. Dyer is enjoying himself.

20min. From the subsequent corner taken by McCann, Jones' header is tipped over the crossbar by Weale. They need more luck in front of goal is they're to have any success today.

19min. Scunthorpe are searching for a way back into the game, and Hayes' effort was just deflected wide after good chasing by Hooper. The hosts do look very comfortable right now though.

16min. GOAL! Leicester are 'on fire', as their goal music goes. Paul Gallagher was fed by Dyer on the edge of the area and his shot took a deflection off Jones and bobbled past Murphy and into the back of the City net. It's not been an ideal start for United by any stretch of the imagination.

Leicester 2-0 Scunthorpe

14min. Dyer has just forced a header wide from Gallagher's cross. The Foxes are looking more creative at the moment.

9min. Raynes was just caught out by Gallagher's ball across to Dyer, who latched on to the loose ball and drove forward into the area down the left before firing wide of goal with a near-post effort.

8min. Scunthorpe are looking for a way back into the game and McCann's just had a shot from 25 yards, which he curled just wide of Weale's bottom left-hand post. The shotstopper had it covered though.

6min. GOAL! Leicester go ahead. Michael Morrison, who notched a brace against the Iron last season at this same stadium, headed the hosts into the lead, after finding himself unmarked following Matt Oakley's crossed free-kick. Poor start for the Iron. Another early strike for the Foxes against the Iron too, after Waghorn's goal versus us in the 1-1 draw at Glanford Park in November.

Leicester 1-0 Scunthorpe

4min. Waghorn has a pop at goal for City but he scrambles his shot wide from 20 yards.

2min. Hooper has just had a shot well stopped by Chris Weale after being out through by Hayes on the left side of the penalty area. It was on the break, something the Iron will be bidding to do a lot today. Nothing comes from the subsequent corner though.

1min. The first chance of the game goes City's way as Lloyd Dyer volleys a shot goalwards which bounces but Murphy saves well. Matt Oakley had advanced down the left flank to send the cross in.

0min. The game kicks off, with Raynes confirmed at right-back.

SETTING THE SCENE

14:57. The teams emerge ready for kick-off.

14:55. Underdog by local band Kasabian starts to play as the teams get ready in the tunnel, the Iron are fulfilling that role today. Can they register their fourth away league win of the season?

14:53. The staff at Leicester seem confident anyway. The 0-0 bore draw with Doncaster on Tuesday night has done nothing to dampen their enthusiasm. One LCFC employee in the press room tells us he has a bet on a 4-0 Foxes win with Martyn Waghorn scoring first. Prove them wrong United!

14:50. Haven't seen any of Leicester's celebrity supporters yet, although one of the guys in the press room swears he's seen Roy Cropper off of Corrie outside!

14.49. Just over ten minutes to kick-off and the ground isn't even half full yet, with concourses under the stands though, the majority of the fans will probably arrive to their seats just before the start.

14:40. There's a nip in the air at the Walkers Stadium as we count down to kick-off. We've warmed up with the soup on offer in the Foxes' press room though, as has suspended Iron skipper Cliff Byrne, who has been in twice for soup now! He's frustrated to be missing out after the club's appeal to overturn his red card at West Brom was turned down but he is there to back his team.

14.35. An early Championship result - Newcastle have scored a late leveller to draw 1-1 at Swansea.

TEAM NEWS

The Iron entered their away encounter at Leicester City making four changes from the side beaten 2-0 at West Bromwich Albion in midweek.

Debutant Michael Raynes replaced the suspended Cliff Byrne in defence, Marcus Williams returned from suspension to displace Brendan Moloney, with Matt Sparrow making way for Grant McCann and Paul Hayes coming in for Donal McDermott.

Joe Murphy started in goal, with the defence consisting of Raynes, David Mirfin, stand-in captain Rob Jones and Williams.

Michael O'Connor, Sam Togwell, Josh Wright and McCann formed the midfield, with Hayes supporting Gary Hooper in attack.

The substitutes were Josh Lillis, Andrew Wright, Ian Morris, Sparrow, Martyn Woolford, McDermott and Jonathan Forte.

Former Iron loan man Jack Hobbs is lining up for City, where he is going from strength to strength.

TEAM LINE-UPS
Leicester City: Weale, Morrison, Brown, Oakley, King, Dyer, Berner, Waghorn, Wellens, Gallagher, Hobbs.
Substitutes: McGivern, Solano, HOward, Logan, N'Guessan, Kermorgant, Bruce.

Scunthorpe United: Murphy, Raynes, Mirfin, Jones, Williams, O'Connor, Togwell, J. Wright, McCann, Hayes, Hooper.
Substitutes: Lillis, A. Wright, Morris, Sparrow, Woolford, McDermott, Forte.

Referee: David Phillips.

PREAMBLE

Scunthorpe pooped the party when they visited Leicester last season. The Foxes were meant to lift the League 1 trophy following a win. Instead, they were held to a draw by United; a draw which went a long way towards getting the Iron back into the Play-Off positions, and consequently allowing today's fixture to occur. A year on, and it might be Leicester's turn to poop our party, by compounding Scunthorpe's recent misery. Lose today, and it'd be for the third game on the spin. Let's hope that instead the old prophecy rings true for our team: third time lucky (for Scunny!).