Leicester 2 Huddersfield 1: Vaughan’s dismissal in Huddersfield’s defeat will impact on derby

HUDDERSFIELD Town manager Mark Robins will have to plan for Saturday’s lunchtime derby against Leeds United without top scorer James Vaughan.
James VaughanJames Vaughan
James Vaughan

Vaughan was sent off in the 82nd minute for pushing Marcin Wasilewski to the ground in retaliation for a challenge.

Robins insisted that defender Wasilewski should also have been sent off, claiming the Poland international elbowed Vaughan before the striker reacted and was dismissed by referee James Adcock.

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Robins said: “There should have been two red cards because there was a definite elbow thrown by Wasilewski. Vaughan has felt aggrieved about that and although his reaction was not great if there were red cards there should have been two, not one.”

Leicester manager Nigel Pearson reserved special praise for goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel after seeing his team keep up their promotion push.

In an action-packed match, Leicester took the lead with a fine strike from James Vardy in the 10th minute and added a second in the 38th minute. Trying to clear an inswinging corner from Anthony Knockaert, Huddersfield defender Anthony Gerrard headed the ball into his own net.

But it needed a fine performance by Schmeichel to keep battling Town at bay. He pulled off three great saves in the first half, two of them from Vaughan.

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Then an own goal from Paul Konchesky, who deflected Sean Scannell’s shot into the net in the 67th minute, gave Huddersfield a lifeline.

But with Vaughan sent off, the third-placed Foxes clinched their eighth win of the season and maintained their unbeaten home record.

Robins said: “I think the game was too open for both managers, but I think everyone will agree that it was a good game to watch.

“But it is about picking up points at the end of it and we were unlucky not to do that. I think there were some really good performances and we passed the ball well in the first half.

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“There are just one or two elements that we are short of in the first half. In the second half we knew if we got a goal they would be on the back foot and that’s what happened.

“Then we lost James (Vaughan) and things changed from there. But having said that the goalkeepers were on top. I think they were in great form and Kasper Schmeichel made one unbelievable save at the death from Duane Holmes.

“But some of the football we played was excellent. We were unfortunate.”

Leicester City: Schmeichel, Wasilewski, Morgan, Moore, Konchesky, Knockaert (James 70), Drinkwater, King (Hammond 71), Dyer (Schlupp 88), Nugent, Vardy. Unused substitutes: Taylor-Fletcher, Miquel, Logan, Wood.

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Huddersfield Town: Smithies, Clarke, Gerrard, Lynch, Woods, Gobern (Clayton 68), Hogg, Dixon (Holmes 61), Hammill (Scannell 61), Vaughan, Ward. Unused substitutes: Norwood, Bennett, Stead, Paterson.

Referee: J Adcock (Nottinghamshire).

Man of the match: Kasper Schmeichel.