Substitutes on target as Leicester City rally for 2-2 draw at Hinckley United
Thursday, July 16, 2009, 08:00
Substitutes Billy Kee and Johnny Hayes inspired a Leicester City fightback at Hinckley's Greene King Stadium last night.
The City pair went on off the bench to score a goal each and they squared a good contest against their Conference North hosts.
It was all Hinckley in the opening stages.
They led 2-0 after just 12 minutes, and could have easily have doubled their advantage before the 20-minute mark.
The Knitters were ahead after only four minutes when a Lee Collins header from an Andy Gooding cross went into off a post.
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Andy Hall shot wide from distance after eight minutes but, four minutes later, Hinckley increased their advantage.
Hall's shot was blocked by City keeper Alex Cisak but the ball struck Hall and went into the net.
The pace of French striker Ange Lorougnan was troubling the City back-line and the Knitters striker almost made it 3-0 after 15 minutes but his header rebounded off the crossbar.
City's Cian Bolger was rounded by Lorougnan, who was with Barwell last season, but Cisak was out quickly to block his attempt as City struggled to cope with the pace of the Hinckley front-man.
Craig King conjured a rare response from City just after the half-hour mark but his angled shot from 15 yards went wide.
At the start of the second half, City sent on Kee, very impressive at Loughborough on Saturday, and Hayes, and that had an immediate effect on their attacking threat. Three minutes into the second half, Hayes set up James Wesolowski, who burst clear of the defence but his well-placed shot was expertly saved by Chris Mackenzie.
Kee's arrival, as a replacement for King, was even more influential because he reduced the deficit after 59 minutes.
Mackenzie tried to dribble the ball outside the penalty area but lost possession to the tigerish Kee, who raced away to fire into an empty net.
Hayes was also making a big impact and his left-foot shot after 63 minutes was cleared off the line by Knitters substitute Richard Lavery.
Ricky Sappleton fired a long-range attempt straight at substitute keeper Nick Jupp as City pressed for an equaliser which looked on after 74 minutes only for Robert Douglas to shoot wide.
But, five minutes later, City were level when Hayes emphasised his contribution by sweeping home the equaliser.
In the final minutes, there were chances at both ends with Hinckley substitute Jack Roberts going close for the Knitters.
City reserve-team boss Gerry Taggart said: "It wasn't rocket science to make the changes we did at half-time but they did make a difference.
"You will never come to places like Hinckley and get away with things easily.
"In the second half we earned the right, in the first half we didn't."
Knitters manager Dean Thomas said his side were excellent for an hour of the contest.
He added: "We knew that fatigue would kick in because their fitness levels are far higher. However, we were excellent in the first 45 minutes and really put them under a lot of pressure."
Hinckley: Mackenzie (Jupp 61), Mace, Giddings, Gooding (Jackson 70), Collins (Lister 45), Green (Platnaeur 45), Hall, Dillon (Roberts 72), Webster (Haughton 61), Lorougnan, Cartwright (Lavery 61). Unused sub: Taylor.
City: Cisak, Milnes, Rowe-Turner, Verma (Hinks 57), Parkes, Bolger, Douglas (John 73), Wesolowski, C King (Kee 45), Sappleton (Yussuf 70), Porter (Hayes 45). Unused sub: Ambrusics.
Referee: Martin Dexter (Glenfield).
Attendance: 423.
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