An own goal from Matt Heath gave the Blues a deserved point in an entertaining game at the Walkers Stadium. Town went ahead through Ian Westlake in the first minute but Leicester hit back through David Connolly and Heath either side of the break, before the latter netted at the wrong end late on.

Central defender Jason De Vos was OK to take his place in the defence despite the hairline fracture to a toe, while Darren Bent returned to the attack after his hamstring injury. Fabian Wilnis came back after his suspension and took over from Matt Richards at left-back. Lewis Price continued in goal.

Leicester included two ex-Town players in their line-up, James Scowcroft, whose name was cheered prior to the game, and this summer's disappearing defender, Chris Makin, who was booed throughout.

The Blues were ahead with their first serious attack of the game, a move which started with keeper Lewis Price. On halfway Shefki Kuqi laid a ball back to Jim Magilton who put Darren Bent through.

The frontman took the ball on but his strike was blocked by Kevin Pressman on the edge of the area. Ian Westlake seized on the loose ball and looped it between Jordan Stewart on the line and the crossbar and into the net.

Within a minute Dion Dublin ought to have put the Foxes back on terms but put Stewart's cross from the left wide of Price's post.

Town should have been two goals up in the seventh minute. Bent found himself through one-on-one with Pressman once again but took too long before unleashing his shot and Martin Keown blocked.

The Blues were having much the better of it, passing the ball around crisply at times but without creating chances, while Leicester were failing to keep possession but looked dangerous when balls were pumped into the box towards Dublin or Scowcroft moving on from his position on the right of midfield.

Lewis Price was in action for the first time on 27, having little trouble in stopping David Connolly's shot as Leicester started to have more of the game.

In the 34th minute the home side were back on terms. A long ball was pumped up to Scowcroft, who had got away from Fabian Wilnis. The former Town player flicked the ball on to David Connolly with De Vos the wrong side of him, the Irishman moving into the area and beating Price.

The goal gave Leicester a massive boost and the Town goal spent the rest of the half under siege. Tiatto hit his shot across the face of goal but in the main it was Lewis Price who prevented the Foxes going ahead.

Tiatto became the first Leicester player thwarted by Price with another effort on 40, the keeper pushing his shot wide. Three minutes later the Wales U21 pulled off an even better save, tipping a Connolly shot wide.

From the resultant corner Tommy Miller headed Gareth Williams's header off the line with Price for once beaten. But the Town keeper was in action again before the break, getting his fingertips to a curling Connolly shot from the right.

It had been a half of two halves, Town having the better of the early stages but Leicester dominating the latter period with only Lewis Price's saves keeping the Blues on terms.

Town started the second half more brightly than they ended the first. Kevin Horlock was presented with a good opportunity in the 51st minute when Heath fouled Shefki Kuqi 25 yards out. Unfortunately the former Manchester City man shot straight into the wall.

On the hour, Leicester went in front. Scowcroft knocked down a long ball on the edge of the area and Matt Heath, still up field from a corner, struck a shot through a crowd of players and beyond Price.

Joe Royle immediately made a change, replacing Jim Magilton with Pablo Couñago and moving to 4-3-3.

Price made another fine save three minutes after the goal getting across to his right to push James Scowcroft's 25-yard shot round the post.

Despite Scowcroft's effort, Town's tactical switch appeared to be working with virtually all the play in the Leicester half. Horlock had another chance from a freekick, again after a Heath foul on Scowcroft, but this time he put it wide.

On 66 Tommy Miller sent in a freekick from the left, keeper Kevin Pressman reacting very quickly to tip Shefki Kuqi's close range header over the bar.

Three minutes later, Pablo Couñago, looking far brighter than in some of his recent first team appearances, turned and shot from the left edge of the penalty area, Pressman pushing the ball round the post.

The Blues won a series of corners but the Foxes defended staunchly and occasionally desperately to prevent the ball falling too invitingly for a Town player inside the box.

The Walkers Stadium was getting increasingly foggy as the Blues continued to push for an equaliser, although at the other end Jordan Stewart managed a 25-yard shot which failed to sting Lewis Price's hands.

Dean Bowditch replaced a tired-looking Darren Bent and was quickly into the action. The England U19 headed a cross from the left goalwards, Kevin Pressman saving to his left but not holding on and Kuqi netting the rebound.

The Town players celebrated as the linesman indicated a goal and ran towards the halfway line, before referee Tony Leake indicated he felt a foul had been committed on the keeper. Kuqi and a number of others protested, perhaps suggesting that the referee speak to his better-placed linesman, something he seemed disinclined to do.

However, a Town equaliser wasn't too long in coming. Tommy Miller floated over a corner and Matt Heath headed past Pressman and into his own net.

Neither side had any decent chances in the final minutes, Shefki Kuqi shot over the bar from distance as the Blues looked the more likely to score a winner.

Town will be pleased to have got the draw after being a goal behind with on two minutes left on the clock, however, a win certainly wasn't out of the question.

After having a cast iron penalty not awarded at the weekend, Town will feel particularly unfortunate to have had a perfectly good goal ruled out tonight, although the own goal was a suitable compensation.

Overall a draw was probably a fair result, both sides having the better of the game at different stages. Town found Leicester's physical threat difficult to handle, while Connolly's pace also caused problems. The Town strikers gave the Leicester backline a similarly challenging evening.

Town's man of the match was without doubt Lewis Price, his series of excellent saves just before the break keeping the Blues on terms at a time when Leicester were very much in the ascendancy. If Kelvin Davis is fit for Saturday's game at Watford on Saturday, Joe Royle has a very difficult decision to make.

Town: Price, Diallo, Richards, De Vos, Naylor, Magilton (Couñago 62), Horlock, Miller, Westlake, Bent (Bowditch 83), Kuqi.

Photo: Action Images

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