Town’s run of wins came to an end as they were beaten 3-1 by Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. Bobby De Cordova-Reid’s 25-yard strike gave the home side the lead in the eighth minute, then Abdul Fatawu made it 2-0 when he lofted the ball over Blues keeper Christian Walton from 15 yards inside his own half two minutes prior to the break. Before Town could hit back after the restart, the Foxes made it 3-0 through Jordan Ayew on 52. The Blues kept pushing and Jens Cajuste was gifted his first goal of the season on 71 but Town were unable to find a way back into the game.

The Blues made two changes from the side which beat Stoke City 1-0 at Portman Road on Wednesday.

Sindre Walle Egeli dropped out of the squad due to illness and was replaced wide on the right by Jack Clarke.

Former Foxes striker George Hirst, suspended in midweek, returned as the number nine with Ivan Azon moving to the bench alongside former Leicester forward Kasey McAteer.

The home side made one change from the team which drew 2-2 at Bristol City on Wednesday with captain Ricardo Pereira returning to the XI for Hamza Choudhury, who was among the subs.

Jordan James was OK to start in midfield having been a doubt due to a groin issue suffered against the Robins. Former Town loan keeper Asmir Begovic was the Foxes’ sub keeper.

The Blues began on the front foot but without threatening, the home side hitting the game’s first shot in the sixth minute, Fatawu hitting an effort which deflected through to Christian Walton, making his 100th league appearance for the club.

On eight, the Foxes went in front out of almost nothing. With there seeming no danger, the ball was stabbed into the path of De Cordova-Reid a few yards outside the area by Luke Thomas and the Jamaica international took a touch and smashed a shot which curled away from Walton to the keeper’s left and inside the post.

Following the goal, the home side dominated play with the Blues pinned back in their final third.

Just ahead of the quarter-hour, Ayew chested down a long throw from the left and tried an overhead effort which Cedric Kipre, who spent three years as an academy player with Leicester, was able to block.

Three minutes later, a deep corner from the left reached Oliver Skipp unmarked but the former Tottenham midfielder scuffed tamely and Walton claimed comfortably.

In the 20th minute, Jaden Philogene was fouled 10 yards outside the area to the left and Leif Davis sent in a promising free-kick which flicked off skipper Dara O’Shea’s head and wide but with the linesman’s flag having been raised.

Town began to get their passing going and in the 28th minute Fatawu fouled Philogene on the left for a second time. Davis’s free-kick was half-cleared to Azor Matusiwa, whose shot was blocked.

The Blues kept the ball in the final third and the ball was sent back across from the left, Hirst just failing to get his head on it. It ran loose and Kipre tried to find space for a shot but was crowded out.

Just after the half hour, Jack Taylor was shown the game’s first yellow card for tripping James as the Wales international took the ball into the area on the right and stayed on his feet until he was well inside the box despite the foul having been outside. Fatawu’s shot was palmed away by Walton.

But Town were beginning to look more threatening after a largely lethargic first half, Marcelino Nunez breaking into the area on the left before turning back and teeing up Clarke, who shot straight at home keeper Jakub Stolarczyk.

Moments later, Philogene also got in on the left of the box but sent his cross beyond his teammates.

The Blues were starting to pass the ball around more slickly, but in the 43rd minute the Foxes doubled their lead in extraordinary circumstances.

A loose O’Shea pass was picked up by Fatawu midway inside his own half towards the right. The Ghanaian took it forward a stride or two past Taylor before hitting an effort from still well inside his own half which looped over Walton standing well out of his goal and under the bar to send the home fans into raptures.

The Blues went looking for a goal to get them back into the game, Philogene cutting in and shooting beyond the far post in the first of three added minutes.

Town weren’t to come any closer before the whistle ended a half in which they had looked underpowered and far from the team which won their last two at home, but equally not particularly deserving of a two-goal deficit against a largely pedestrian Leicester side relying mainly on long throws and set pieces to create a threat.

Two goals rather out of place in the game overall had been the difference, De Cordova-Reid hitting a clean early strike, then Fatawu surpassing the former Fulham man with his long distance effort.

The Blues were bright for the first few minutes but drifted after going behind before starting to get on top as they began to get their passing going with Clarke’s opportunity the best. However, overall, it had been a tired display, perhaps showing the impact of virtually the same team playing all three games over the last eight days.

Within seconds of the restart, a deep cross was sent in from the Leicester right and Walton did well to claim ahead of two Foxes attackers but with the linesman’s flag raised.

Seven minutes into the half, with the Blues having had a fair bit of the ball but without threatening, Leicester added further to their lead.

Davis seemed to be seeing the ball out in front of Fatawu on the right of the box but stumbled, allowing home skipper Pereira to cut back through Kipre’s legs to Ayew, who turned into the net from close range.

As the game moved towards the hour mark, after another spell of Blues possession without creating an opportunity, Leicester weren’t too far away from a fourth.

Davis again looked to have seen the ball out on the right but Ayew was able to keep it in play and find De Cordova-Reid, whose shot was blocked by O’Shea.

In the aftermath, the Foxes were awarded a free-kick which Stephy Mavididi hit into the wall. Soon after, a James cross from the right hit Philogene at the back post and ran loose before being bundled behind for a corner with Leicester claiming a penalty for handball against the Town winger but referee Thomas Kirk showed no interest.

The Blues made a triple change in the 64th minute, Sammie Szmodics, Ashley Young and Cajuste replacing Nunez, Matusiwa and Taylor. Leicester switched De Cordova-Reid for Choudhury a minute later.

On 66, Mavididi shot wide after exchanging passes with James as he broke into the Town area on the left.

Town again began to see more of the ball but Young, who had taken up a central midfield role, overhit his through ball, much to the frustration of the Blues support.

However, from the goal-kick, Town were gifted a goal. Foxes keeper Stolarczyk casually passed out from the back, Cajuste got ahead of Skipp and stroked into the net, much to the Pole’s embarrassment.

The Blues weren’t too far away from an immediate second, a Davis cross from the left finding Clarke in space in the area. However, the winger took a touch when he ought to have shot first time and Jannik Vestergaard was able to clear.

Town kept the ball in or around the area until Philogene shot well over from outside the box.

The Blues continued to keep the Foxes pinned in their final third, the home side losing possession quickly whenever they won it back.

On 77, Chuba Akpom and McAteer took over from Philogene and Darnell Furlong with Young moving to his more usual right-back.

O’Shea headed high and wide from a free-kick from deep on the left but with the linesman’s flag raised before Leicester withdrew Ayew and Mavididi for Patson Daka and Silko Thomas.

Town continued to push for a second goal, Akpom winning a corner on the right from which Hirst turned a difficult chance wide. Moments later, Szmodics overhit a cross from the left towards the far post.

In the 84th minute, Kipre played in Clarke on the left of the area, but the former Sunderland man’s shot was blocked by Vestergaard.

Four minutes later, Kipre again cleverly found Clarke on the left of the area, from where the forward looped a ball to the far post where McAteer clashed heads with his former teammate Luke Thomas, both players requiring treatment before continuing with the fourth official indicating an additional seven minutes while they were grounded.

Clarke was yellow-carded for fouling Fatawu as he broke away following a Town attack, then James was switched for Louis Page. Moments later, Luke Thomas was booked for hauling over Szmodics.

The Blues were unable to threaten again and what had been a very promising week following the home wins against Coventry and Stoke came to a disappointing end.

Neither side had really got going when De Cordova-Reid netted the opening goal and Town looked lacklustre for much of the first half having gone behind before imposing themselves on the half more as the break approached.

However, Fatawu’s vision to score the second, a goal Foxes fans will relive for many years to come, gave the Blues a mountain to climb, one which became even steeper when Ayew added the third, Davis making a rare error in the build-up.

Town saw a lot of the ball in the Leicester final third but home keeper Stolarczyk was rarely seriously tested - a regular occurrence against teams sitting in all season - and the Blues’ only reply a seasonal gift from the Leicester glovesman himself.

The seventh game in 22 days with Town perhaps showing the effects of that run and particularly three tough games in eight days starting most of the same team.

The Blues drop to fifth, now eight points off the top two and 13 points from the top with rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday at Portman Road next Saturday.

Leicester: Stolarczyk, Pereira (c), Nelson, Vestergaard, L Thomas, James (Page 93), Skipp, Fatawu, De Cordova-Reid (Choudhury 65), Mavididi (Daka 79), Ayew (S Thomas 79). Unused: Begovic, Faes, Aluko, Carranza, Evans.

Town: Walton, Furlong (McAteer 78), O’Shea (c), Kipre, Davis, Matusiwa (Young 64), Taylor (Cajuste 64), J Clarke, Nunez (Szmodics 64), Philogene (Akpom 77), Hirst. Unused: Palmer, Greaves, Johnson, Azon. Referee: Thomas Kirk (Cheshire).

Photo: Matchday Images