Football: Marshall to rescue but O'Neill is not amused

Leicester City 1 Blackburn Rovers 1

Leicester's manager, Martin O'Neill, was left shaking his head in abject frustration at his side's first-half performance which he described as "the worst of the season".

Leicester were never in the running during the opening 45 minutes and deservedly trailed to Chris Sutton's 34th-minute header, his seventh goal in 13 matches. But a tactical master-stroke by O'Neill saw him switch Ian Marshall out of defence into an attacking role, a move which paid off 12 minutes from time when the former Oldham and Ipswich player snatched the equaliser.

However, O'Neill is becoming a little fed up with his side's topsy turvy form: "We were desperately poor in the first half. When we went a goal behind I think the players were hoping the referee might call the game off because of the fog."

Meanwhile Tony Parkes, Blackburn's caretaker manager, shed a little more light on the subject of who is to replace him. "I don't think we are too far away now from the board naming their new man," he said. "They and Jack Walker are working very hard to get someone in.

"There have been a lot of rumours flying around. Someone even mentioned Joe Kinnear to me today. But I don't think that will happen. My belief is that it will be somebody outside Britain. I think that is where they are looking."

Goals: Sutton (34) 0-1; Marshall (78) 1-1.

Leicester City: Keller; Grayson, Izzet, Watts, Prior, Marshall, Lennon, Taylor, Parker (Kamark, 70), Claridge, Heskey. Substitutes not used: Lawrence, Hill, Campbell, Poole (gk).

Blackburn Rovers: Flowers; Kenna, Sherwood, Hendry, Le Saux, Gallacher, Wilcox, Sutton, McKinlay, Berg, Flitcroft (Bohinen, 25). Substitutes not used: Marker, Gudmundsson, Donis, Given (gk).

Referee: M Riley (Leeds).

Booked: Blackburn Le Saux.

Man of the match: Sutton.

Attendance: 19,306.