Goals from Jamie Vardy and, all too predictably, David Nugent have given Leicester a 2-0 lead over the Blues at half-time.

As expected, Frank Nouble replaced injured top scorer David McGoldrick alongside Daryl Murphy up front, while Dean Gerken returned in goal, despite Scott Loach’s impressive display in last week’s 0-0 draw with Blackpool.

Jay Tabb took over in midfield from Luke Hyam, who is out for a fortnight with the hamstring injury he suffered in the early stages against the Seasiders. For Leicester, Jeff Schlupp replaced the suspended Paul Konchesky at left-back.

There was an early scare for Town, in their red and black away kit, when the wind caught a ball over the top but Tommy Smith got across to dispossess Vardy.

There was another worrying moment in the third minute when Gerken mishandled Luke Chambers’s header back to him but fortunately grabbed hold of the ball before it reached his goal and ahead of Vardy.

The table-topping home side were starting strongly and on four Gerken saved sharply down to his left after Wes Morgan had headed Matty James’s left-sided corner goalwards.

Vardy claimed Smith had felled him as he chased the ball in a promising area in the seventh minute but referee James Linington waved away his protests, the former Fleetwood man having gone to ground very easily.

Cole Skuse mis-hit Town’s first chance of the game wide in the 12th minute after Paul Green had caught James dallying in possession on the edge of his own area. The loose ball fell nicely to the former Bristol City man, who should have gone much closer to netting his first goal for the Blues.

Marcin Wasilewski got his name in referee Linington’s book for a high challenge on Stephen Hunt on 16 then moments later Tabb joined him for a foul on Vardy.

Cresswell forced Kasper Schmeichel into his first serious save of the afternoon on 18, the left-back whipping over a cross-shot which the Danish international tipped beyond the bar.

Vardy had been Leicester’s main danger and in the 19th minute he put his side in front, although with significant help from the Blues. Tabb failed to spot the Leicester striker in behind his defenders and played a backpass towards Gerken which Vardy intercepted and then flicked past the Town keeper from a tight angle on the left.

Twelve minutes later, it was 2-0 and perhaps inevitably David Nugent was the scorer. Chambers tried to divert Ritchie De Laet’s cross from the right behind but only succeeded in returning the ball to the Belgian, who sent it back into the box to Nugent, who gleefully tapped home his 14th goal in 13 games against the Blues.

There was little doubt that Leicester had been on top from the off but both goals owed almost everything to woeful Town defending.

Anthony Knockaert went looking for a third, curling a 36th minute freekick just wide, then just before the break Wasilewski flicked James’s cross from the left just over.

As the half moved into injury time, Nugent found Lloyd Dyer breaking down the centre to his right but Aaron Cresswell got across to dispossess the winger.

The end of the half came as a bit of a relief for the Blues who had been shown exactly why Leicester are top of the table and seemingly certain to return to the Premier League come May.

The Foxes had been on top throughout — Skuse’s scuffed shot was Town’s only real chance — but both goals were the result of poor defending. Given the home side’s superiority, a second half Town comeback seems unlikely.

Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet, Wasilewski, Morgan (c), Schlupp, Knockaert, James, Drinkwater, Dyer, Nugent, Vardy. Subs: Hammond, King, Moore, Logan, Mahrez, Phillips, Wood.

Town: Gerken, Chambers, Berra, Smith, Cresswell, Green, Skuse, Tabb, Hunt, Murphy, Nouble. Subs: Loach, Mings, Richardson, Anderson, Wordsworth, Taylor, Ebanks-Blake. Referee: James Linington (Newport, Isle of Wight).

Photo: Action Images

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