Saturday, 3rd MAY 2014, at the King Power Stadium. Leicester
Skybet League Championship
Leicester City 0 Doncaster Rovers 0
Referee – Mr Paul Tierney
Attendance – 31,424
A warm sunny afternoon was the scene for the last match of the season away at this season’s Championship Champions before a capacity crowd. Rovers needed a win to guarantee staying in the Championship otherwise they have to rely on Birmingham City losing at Bolton.
Rovers made two changes to their starting line-up, with Lucas Neill and James Husband coming in for Billy Sharp and Enda Stevens.
The early part of the game was evenly contested and played at quite a sedate pace as each side probed for an opening.
A corner to the home team in the 14th minute came to nothing and a couple of free kicks at the other end for Rovers were cleared.
In the 23rd minute Phillips, for the home team, squared for King to have a go from 20yards but the latter miskicked and Rovers cleared.
Two minutes later and Mahrez cut in from the home right but sliced his shot from just outside of the area wide of the far post.
Just before the half hour a free kick to Rovers in the Leicester half was cleared out to Nugent on the home left, with a clear run on goal. As the Rovers defenders scrambled to get back he cut in but Johnstone, coming out to meet him, blocked his shot.
Past the half hour and a good run by Coppinger down the middle was eventually stopped about twenty-five yards from goal.
Then, Husband, following a rovers attack down the left tried a right foot shot from 25 yards but it lacked power and Schmeichel saved comfortably
The 38th minute brought a corner to the home team following good defensive work as Leicester attacked down the right. De Laet headed over the bar.
Five minutes later and Quinn, defending soundly at the near post put the ball out for a corner but Johnstone was quickly out to catch well on the penalty spot.
Rovers had a fair proportion of play but their crosses to the middle were invariably defended well or caught by Schmeichel.
A good half for the Rovers but they hadn’t created any clear chances at the other end.
Half Time – Leicester City 0 Doncaster Rovers 0
The game re-started in the same vein as the first half then in the 51st minute a ball out of the Rovers defence to Coppinger in the centre circle was moved on to Cotterill on the right. He in turn laid it back to Tamas, who was following the break. He tried his luck from 25yards but Schmeichel saved by diving to his right.
Minutes later and Drinkwater had a go from 30yards with a low shot that Johnstone went down to his right to save.
Just before the hour a great cheer emanated from the Rovers section as that suggested some good news had come through.
In the 64th minute Kevin Phillips, for Leicester, went into retirement when he was substituted by Knockaert.
Past the hour and Leicester began to monopolise possession. A corner kick was well caught by Johnstone, who then made a diving save to a shot from Mahrez.
In the 69th minute Johnstone was in action again to save brilliantly at the near post when a shot was blasted in from the left.
Then, calamity in the 74th minute when Husband brought down Mahrez in the penalty area. NUGENT stepped up and did the necessary to register the first goal of the game.
Rovers tried to hit back with a good move down their right but Keegan skied the ball over the bar from the edge of the penalty area as he was challenged.
The 83rd minute brought a brilliant save from Johnstone when Knockaert blasted in a shot from the left.
Two minutes from normal time a free kick on the Rovers right was placed to the far post by Cotterill where Sharp headed the ball down into the ground and bouncing over the bar.
Rovers tried hard to the end but the score remained at 1-0 giving the home team a win in their last game in the Championship.
News from Bolton meant that the Rovers were relegated to League 1 after just one season.
Result – Leicester City 1 (Nugent pen 74) Doncaster Rovers 0
Teams – Leicester City – Kasper Schmeichel; Ritchie De Laet, Paul Konchesky, Danny Drinkwater, Wes Morgan (c), Andy King, Lloyd Dyer, Riyad Mahrez, Marcin Wasilewski, Kevin Phillips, David Nugent
Subs used – Anthony Knockaert for Phillips 64 mins; Gary Taylor-Fletcher for Dyer 76 mins; Dean Hammond for King 81 mins;
Subs not used – Jeff Schlupp, Liam Moore, Chris Wood, Conrad Logan gk
ROVERS – Sam Johnstone; Gabriel Tamas, Paul Quinn, Lucas Neill, Abdoulaye Meite, James Husband; James Coppinger, Paul Keegan (c), Dean Furman, David Cotterill; Chris Brown
Subs used - Enda Stevens for Husband 81 mins; Harry Forrester for Neill 86 mins; Billy Sharp for Furman 86 mins;
Subs not used – Jamie McCombe, Marc De Val, Theo Robinson, Ross Turnbull gk