BARNSLEY FOOTBALL CLUB

Reds 0 
Leicester 3 (Vardy 21 + 62, Drinkwater 59) 

Barnsley simply have to hold their hands up and admit they were outclassed by a better side against Leicester City after going down 3-0 at Oakwell. 

This is surely the season the Foxes break into the top flight, having suffered a loss of around £70million over the past four years - it was no surprise their class was showing. 

The visitors came flying out of the traps as they looked to extend their already healthy lead at the top of the Championship. 

On three minutes Anthony Knockaeart cracked a shot at goal from 25 yards that seemed to be heading well over but it cannoned off the bar and back into play. 

Just as Paddy McCourt looked to thread a ball through for Jennings, his pass was blocked by the referee to set Leicester on a counter. Thankfully Nugent was caught by Cranie just as he seemed to pull the trigger but the Reds captain injured himself in the process. 

Jean-Yves M'voto replaced Cranie in the heart of defence with 19 gone. 

With 21 played the goal came for the Foxes when M'voto was caught flat footed by Vardy who sprinted clear to tuck home beyond Steele - it had been coming for the visitors. 

Luke Steele pulled off a neat save to deny Schlupp's fierce, low drive on 28 minutes after he drifted in from the left-hand side. 

The Foxes were neat and tidy on the ball and barely gave anything away at the back as the first half came to a close. 

Two minutes of stoppage time was added but the Reds weren't looking like troubling Schmeichel at all. However the last touch of the first half should have seen Barnsley equalise. Woods put in a pinpoint free-kick from the left for O'Grady eight yards out but his header was nearer the corner flag than Schmeichel's post. 

Second half 

Nick Proschwitz replaced Paddy McCourt meaning the Reds were to go two up top for the second half. 

On 53 minutes Barnsley's final change was another enforced one as Peter Ramage had picked up a knock, meaning Lewin Nyatanga replaced him. 

After Steele had saved from Mahrez at one end, Jennings nipped in to pick the pocked of De Laet before hammering over. 

It was game over on 59 minutes as Leicester sprung a counter-attack to undo the Reds just as it seemed they were building some momentum with the crowd behind them. Danny Drinkwater scored probably the easiest goal of his career to tap home Vardy's cross. 

On 62 minutes Leicester added a third as they absolutely sliced through the Barnsley defence with ease. Vardy again raced through to go past Steele and slot into an empty net. 

With the game wrapped up the Foxes decided to throw on some fresh legs with Chris Wood replacing David Nugent on 66 minutes. 

In the final five minuets Luke Steele did make a brilliant save to deny the Foxes a fourth just as Wood nodded at goal four yards out. 

Kasper Schmeichel made his first save of the match on 87 minutes as Nick Proschwitz fired in low from the edge of the area. 



Teams: 

Reds: Steele, Hunt, Kennedy, Ramage (Nyatanga 53), Cranie (M'voto 19), Jennings, Dawson, Mellis, Woods, McCourt (Proschwitz 46), O'Grady. 
Subs: Turner, Nyatanga, Lawrence, Cywka, Noble-Lazarus. 

Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet, Drinkwater, Morgan, James, Vardy (Taylor-Fletcher 67), Schlupp, Knockaert (Hammond 77), Mahrez, Wasilewski, Nugent (Wood 66).  
Subs: Logan, King, Moore, Phillips. 

Attendance: 12539 

Man of the match sponsored by Napoleons: Stephen Dawson