Premiership: Equaliser saves Leicester's Taylor

Leicester 1 Ipswich 1

Dean Sturridge scored an injury-time equaliser to deny Ipswich Town the three points but it remains to be seen whether it will save Leicester City manager Peter Taylor his job.

Substitute Sturridge scored at the second attempt after seizing onto a quickly taken free-kick from Muzzy Izzet.

Ipswich looked as if they had survived the controversial sending-off of ’keeper Matteo Sereni and a missed penalty by Izzet to gain victory through Marcus Stewart’s first half effort.

But the Foxes never threw in the towel and in the dying seconds Sturridge earned the home side their first point of the campaign.

Sereni was red carded after 58 minutes when retaliating to a challenge by Robbie Savage who went down as if he had been pole-axed.

But Izzet sent the resulting penalty over the bar and then to add to Leicester’s woe Lee Marshall was also sent off eight minutes from time after wrestling Martijn Reuser to the ground.

That looked to be it but then came Sturridge’s late, late show to leave Taylor wondering if he is still in a job.

Taylor had received a pre-match message of support from his Filbert Street predecessor Martin O’Neill who also went through a rocky spell before bringing the good times to the club.

But the rumours are rife that Harry Redknapp has already been lined up by the City plc board as opposed to football club chairman John Elsom to fill Taylor’s shoes.

It is only 10 months since Taylor was caretaker boss of England and 11 since City were top of the Premiership for two glorious weeks.

But the last six months have been a nightmare amidst speculation that Taylor has lost the support of senior players in the dressing room.

Taylor gave up his England duties in the summer but now just three games into the new season his days could be numbered if the plc chief Sir Rodney Walker and Co press the panic button.

But the Leicester faithful could not fault the effort and commitment of the Foxes which was in sharp contrast to the 5-0 mauling by Bolton on the opening day of the season.

Leicester made a promising start and skipper Matt Elliott should have done better when he mis-kicked just eight yards out after Lee Marshall had flicked on an Izzet corner.

Ipswich came more into the game and debutant Ian Walker did well to hold onto a low effort from Martin Reuser after a one-two with Marcus Stewart.

But after 13 minutes the former Spurs ’keeper had no chance when Stewart fired home his first goal of the campaign.

A hopeful chip from Jermaine Wright was headed out by Elliott but Matt Holland turned the ball back into the area and Stewart had time to pull the ball down and drill a low left-footed shot past Walker.

Unlike against Bolton, Leicester did not buckle and, if the football was not pretty, the effort level could not be questioned.

The home side were awarded a free-kick just eight yards out after Matteo Sereni picked up a John McGreal back pass but the resulting shot from Callum Davidson was cleared off the line by Herman Hreidarsson.

A minute from the interval the Foxes came close to equalising when a long throw in from Davison was flicked on by Junior Lewis to Izzet but his low shot was held onto by Sereni.

Leicester started the second half in a positive vein and Sereni pulled off a superb save to finger-tip over an effort from Davidson after good play by Ade Akinbiyi.

But Walker then got a crucial finger-tip to a chip from Stewart after Finidi George had found him unmarked.

The game then erupted when Sereni was red-carded for a challenge on Savage which was not seen by referee Barry Knight but spotted by one of his assistants.

Sereni reacted by body checking Savage after he had gone in on him with a late tackle and the Welsh international lay on the floor as if he has been pole-axed.

But it was still a surprise to see Knight brandish a red card and he then pointed to the penalty spot.

Ipswich brought on substitute ’keeper Keith Branagan but he was not needed as Izzet sent the spot-kick high and wide.

Then came the Marshall red card before Filbert Street erupted through Sturridge’s point-saver.