Premiership: Penalty robs Leicester of win

Southampton 2 Leicester 2

Marian Pahars’ 86th-minute penalty robbed rock-bottom Leicester of their first league win in three-and-a-half months at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium today.

Pahars converted from the spot to level the scores at 2-2 after Matt Elliott’s foul on James Beattie denying Leicester their first three-point haul since the 2-0 win at Aston Villa on December 1.

A candidate for blooper of the season by Saints goalkeeper Paul Jones earlier gave the Foxes a 2-0 lead.

Jones misjudged a 23rd-minute clearing header and then stumbled as Muzzy Izzet’s 40-yard lob hit his crossbar and rebounded to Brian Deane, whose scuffed shot bounced over Jones who had incredibly fallen over again.

Deane had also scored a bullet header from Paul Dickov’s cross two minutes before the hilarious Jones incident - but Marian Pahars’ brilliant diving header in the 28th minute after a lofted Anders Svensson cross reduced Saints’ deficit to a single goal.

Gordon Strachan’s men, who had earlier hit the woodwork both with Kevin Davies’ mis-hit cross and Brett Ormerod’s 16-yard drive, battled to draw level after the break boosted by the introduction of fit-again striker Beattie, who came off the bench after two months out with a dislocated ankle.

However, City’s massed defence could not hold on in the face of the Saints onslaught - and when Matt Elliott tugged Beattie’s shirt with just four minutes left, Pahars calmly slotted home from the penalty spot.

The struggling visitors were rocked yesterday by assistant manager Micky Adams’ demand he will quit unless he takes over from flop boss Dave Bassett in the summer.

Saints striker Kevin Davies almost scored a freak goal after just two minutes when his cross from the right skimmed the top of Ian Walker’s crossbar.

And the home side hit the woodwork again after Davies outjumped Leicester centre-back Elliott, playing again after the death of his father, in the11th minute. Brett Ormerod pounced sent the ball thudding against the foot of Walker’s right-hand post from 16 yards.

Saints suffered an injury blow when defender Claus Lundekvam sustained a head injury in an aerial challenge and was replaced by Tahar El Khalej.

And Leicester, adrift at the foot of the table, stunned the home crowd by roaring into a 2-0 lead with two Brian Deane goals in an amazing three-minute spell.

First, City took a 21st-minute lead with a bullet header by the veteran frontman. Dickov whipped over a cross from the left flank and the big striker twisted his body and flashed the ball past Saints keeper Paul Jones.

And two minutes later, a double-blooper by Jones gave lowly Leicester atwo-goal cushion. The Wales international dashed from his area to head the ball away but it fell to Izzet, 40 yards out, who hoisted a first-time lob over the keeper.

Jones raced back but stumbled and the ball hit his bar and rebounded toDeane, who scuffed a shot that bounced over Jones as he fell over again.

But Saints pulled one back in the 28th minute with a brilliant diving header into the bottom corner by Pahars, after Svensson’s cross from the left.

On the stroke of half-time, Walker flung himself to his left to tip a thunderous 30-yard Matt Oakley drive round the post.

Four minutes after the break, home centre-back El Khalej was inches away from converting Svensson’s left-wing corner and at the other end a minute later, Jones made a fine save from a quickly-taken 25-yard Izzet free-kick.

Beattie took to the field to a warm welcome from the home faithful in the 63rd minute, replacing Davies.

However, despite Southampton’s dominance in both territory and possession, Gordon Strachan’s men were failing to create any real openings as the clock ticked past the 70-minute mark with the home side still trailing 2-1.

Beattie headed a yard over the top from Paul Telfer’s cross with eight minutes left, as Saints’ inability to take advantage of their dominance became glaringly evident.

But Southampton finally got the break they wanted when Elliott tugged Beattie’s shirt inside the City box when Telfer played a chip into the danger zone in the 86th minute.

Referee Mike Dean immediately pointed to the penalty spot and Pahars calmly ignored the Leicester protests and rolled the ball into the bottom left corner, sending Walker the wrong way and levelling the score at 2-2.