Leicester City Reserves 3 Bradford City Reserves 2
Posted on: Wed 30 Apr 2008
Wednesday 30 April 2008
Pontin's Holidays League Central
Leicester City 3 (King 30, Sappleton 42, Hammond 76)
Bradford City 2 (Bleau 63, Burgess 67)
Kick Off: 7.00pm
at the Walkers Stadium
City played their final fixture of the Pontin's Holidays League season against Leicester City in the impressive surroundings of the Walkers Stadium, the game having been switched from the Foxes' usual reserve team venue of Hinckley United F.C.
Ben Saynor, playing his last game for the Bantams, was the only professional player in a City team which otherwise consisted of only apprentices, trialists and a member of the Centre of Excellence.
Coventry City defender Callum Burgess played his fourth game on trial and he was joined by Birmingham City midfielder Ryan Burge and Boston United striker Adam Rowntree who impressed while playing against City in a youth team fixture.
Liam Smith and Callum Burgess combined well to dispossess Ricky Sappleton in the tenth minute when he ran in towards Saynor's goal.
Three minutes later Saynor's soft clearance landed at the feet of Billy McKay who powered his shot back at the City keeper. This time Saynor was able to grasp the ball and kick it to safety.
City had another let off on the quarter hour when from a free-kick Ashley Chambers' shot went fractionally wide of the mark.
Leon Osborne was the first player to break into the Leicester box and this not until the 23rd minute but his low shot was turned round the upright by Cisak for a corner.
Referee Gary Sutton was on hand to wave off penalty appeals from Leicester after McKay went sprawling in the area after he was put through by Radostin Kishishev.
Leicester almost broke the deadlock in the 28th minute when McKay cannoned the ball against the crossbar from a Craig King cross.
The inevitable goal came on the half hour when Ashley Chambers turned Kelvin Bleau just inside the box and he crossed to King who was waiting to slot the ball into the back of the net from close range.
Leicester were denied what looked like a certain second goal in the 37th minute when Sappleton turned on the edge of the area but his blistering shot went out for a corner following a finger-tip save by Saynor.
There was little Saynor could do in the 42nd minute to stop City going further behind when Sappleton rose high to header the ball home at the far post from a corner.
Ten minutes into the second half Saynor's height was again used to his advantage. Chambers ran through the City defence and his attempted lob to score Leicester's third saw him denied when the keeper plucked the ball from the air.
City pulled a goal back in the 63rd minute when Kelvin Bleau finished off a fine piece of passing involving himself, Smith and Osborne.
Bradford almost made it two in the next minute when Burge crossed for Newton i front of goal but the City substitute was unable to finish.
However City were level in the 67th minute through an excellent header from Burgess.
Leicester were back in front in the 76th minute after Elvis Hammond, playing his first game for the home side after a lengthy lay-off through injury, ran through the midfield and despite Saynor sprinting off his line trying to get down to take the ball away from the feet of the substitute, he was rounded and the ball easily tapped into the empty net.
With the minutes ticking away, Burgess prevented a fourth for Leicester when he headed off the line from a corner.
LEICESTER CITY
1 Alex Cisak
2 Luke O'Neill
3 Joe Cobb
4 Lee Cox
5 Joe Magunda
6 Lathanial Rowe-Turner
7 Ashley Chambers
8 Radostin Kishishev
9 Ricky Sappleton
10 Billy McKay
11 Craig King
SUBSTITUTES
12 Elvis Hammond for 10
13 Robert Ambrusics
14 Jorrin John
15 Scott Garner
16 Elliott Chamberlain
BRADFORD CITY
1 Ben Saynor
2 Adrian Bellamy
3 Louis Horne
4 Ryan Burge
5 Callum Burgess
6 Liam Smith
7 Kelvin Bleau
8 Rory Carson
9 Adam Rowntree
10 Luke Dean
11 Leon Osborne
SUBSTITUTES
12 Ryan Newton for 10
14 Richie Banks for 6
15 Jonjo O'Hara for 3
16 Roy Fogarty
MATCH OFFICIALS:
Referee: G Sutton
Assistant Referee: L Sinclair
Assistant Referee: O Yates
4th Official: D Styles
GOALSCORERS:
LEICESTER CITY
King (30)
Sappleton (42)
Hammond (76)
BRADFORD CITY
Bleau (63)
Burgess (67)
