A debut goal from loanee Ricardo Fuller sealed a 2-0 victory over Leicester City at Portman Road. The Jamaican headed home on 86, Owen Garvan having put the Blues ahead seven minutes after the break.

Garvan passed his fitness test on the hip injury he picked up in training on Friday and lined-up in central midfield. Danny Haynes was also fit enough for inclusion for the first time since scoring the winning goal at Norwich.

The opening chance of the game fell to Leicester's Iain Hume, his shot from the edge of the box deflecting safely through to Shane Supple.

Canadian international Hume had an even better chance to put his side in front in the sixth minute when Scott Barron missed a header and allowed the former Tranmere man to take the ball into the area, but his shot flew wide of Supple's right post.

Despite Leicester's early chances, it was quickly apparent that the visitors had come to Portman Road to sit back and frustrate the Blues.

Town's first opportunity of the game came in the 11th minute from a Darren Currie corner. Leicester keeper Paul Henderson failed to claim and a goalmouth scramble ensued which ended with Ian Westlake hitting a shot which was blocked, leading to unsuccessful penalty appeals for handball.

Nils-Eric Johanssson headed wide from a corner in the 14th minute, prior to picking up a yellow card after a handball, although referee Paul Taylor made it clear that the caution was for a succession of offences.

Goalmouth action was rare at either end but Town dictated most of the play. On 38 Ricardo Fuller felt he should have won a penalty after making a strong run through a number of defenders and being upended inside the area. Again referee Taylor was unimpressed.

In the 40th minute a Scott Barron cross from the left wasn't too distant from the far post, although Henderson appeared confident it was going wide. Just before the break, Richard Naylor just failed to get above a Currie corner and headed over.

It hadn't been the most exciting half Portman Road has ever witnessed with the visitors making little effort to do anything other than to try to stop Town playing their game and hoping to catch them on the break.

Ricardo Fuller almost created an opening goal for Owen Garvan five minutes into the new half. The loanee from Southampton laid the ball back into the path of the Irishman on the edge of the area from where he hit a decent strike which Henderson did well to push round his right-hand post.

At the other end, Alan Maybury's 25-yard strike forced Shane Supple to dive to his left and push the ball round the post.

Town were starting to look more dangerous and in the 52nd minute Fuller broke down away and spotted Currie in space on the left. The former Brighton man took the ball into the area, cut in and hit a shot which Henderson push round the post.

From the resultant corner, the Blues went in front. Currie's ball into the box was just too high for Jason De Vos at the near post but an unmarked Owen Garvan met the ball six yards out and sent it beyond Henderson for his second goal of the season.

Just before the hour, Hume put Matt Fryatt away down the Town right with a neat flick but the former Walsall man shot across the face of Supple's goal.

On 64 Hume was yellow carded for showing dissent after fouling Ian Westlake, two minutes before Dean McDonald replaced Danny Haynes in the Town attack.

The Blues continued to have much the better of it and were close to going further in front when Currie crossed from the left towards Ian Westlake inside the area but the midfielder couldn't get a touch on the ball.

Ricardo Fuller received a very harsh booking in the 80th minute after Joey Gudjonsson collapsed dramatically to the ground claiming he had been elbowed in the face as the Jamaican held him off. No contact appeared to have been made and Fuller vigorously protested his innocence. The Southampton man now misses next week's game at Preston after reaching five bookings for the season.

Six minutes later Fuller got his name on the scoresheet. The new signing played in Dean McDonald just outside the box, Henderson tipping the former Arsenal trainee's shot round the post. Currie sent in the corner and Fuller rose unchallenged to beat the helpless keeper.

There seemed no way back for a lacklustre Leicester side who had rarely threatened Shane Supple's goal. Late on, Nils-Eric Johansson volleyed wide and in injury time sub Elvis Hammond saw a shot deflected wide and a subsequent strike fly over Supple's cross bar.

A comfortable win from the Blues who now find themselves only five points from the play-off places, setting up a six-pointer at sixth-placed Preston at Deepdale next Saturday.

Town were on top throughout against an industrious but uninspiring Leicester side who will probably be solid enough to avoid relegation but were lacking in attacking ideas throughout.

New man Fuller held the ball up well, showed his physical strength, took his goal well and probably should have been awarded a penalty in the first half. His absence at Deepdale is likely to see an early return to the starting line-up for Alan Lee.

Owen Garvan was again hugely impressive in the midfield, while Ian Westlake and Matt Richards were constantly involved all over the pitch.

Town: Supple, Wilnis, Barron, Naylor, De Vos, Garvan, Westlake, Richards, Currie, Fuller, Haynes (McDonald 66). Unused: Price, Skard, Sito, Magilton. Att: 24,861.

Photo: Action Images

sherborneblue added 01:20 - Feb 25 h
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