London: Leicester City scored two stunning goals in extra time through Wilfred Ndidi and Demarai Gray to reach the FA Cup fifth round with a 3-1 win over second tier Derby County in a replay here Wednesday.
The victory came as a minor relief for champions Leicester who are one point above the Premier League relegation zone after failing to win a league game this year. They have also lost all the matches they have played since January 12.
Ndidi, a January signing from Racing Genk, put Leicester 2-1 ahead with a bullet finish and Gray slalomed through the Derby defence to rubber-stamp Leicester’s progress.
Leicester had taken the lead a minute after half time when Andy King headed home from close range, but Derby clawed their way back when Abdoul Camara’s free-kick took a wicked deflection on its way into the net.
Leicester, who along with Derby fielded a largely second-string side, visit third-tier Millwall in the last 16 game February 18. Leicester made 10 changes to the side that lost 0-3 Sunday to Manchester United.
Leicester went ahead a minute after the restart when Gray’s superb cross to the far post was headed back by Marc Albrighton for King to head into the empty net from close range.
The lead lasted 15 minutes, Derby drawing level as Camara’s free kick took a huge deflection off Ben Chilwell in the wall and skidded past Leicester keeper Ron-Robert Zieler.
Ndidi was introduced by manager Claudio Ranieri for extra time and the Nigerian paid back handsomely for the faith imposed on him. He drove towards the Derby goal before letting fly with an unstoppable effort that hit the inside of the post on its way into the net.
With seven minutes of extra time remaining, Gray set off on a jinking run, leaving several defenders for dead before firing high into the net.
Reuters
