Ambrose gives Ipswich spoils

Leicester City 1 Ipswich Town

Darren Ambrose turned what appeared to be impending defeat into an unlikely victory for Ipswich at Leicester last night as he created one late goal and scored another to take Joe Royle's side to 16th spot in the First Division.

Trailing to a Paul Dickov penalty with six minutes left, Ipswich drew level when Thomas Gaardsoe repeated his goalscoring feat from Saturday's 1-1 draw away to Portsmouth, and then stunned the home side when Ambrose, on as a substitute, hit the winner three minutes from time.

It was only Leicester's second league defeat at the Walkers Stadium and it saw them fall four points behind the leaders Portsmouth, who had earlier drawn with Crystal Palace.

The late excitement banished the memory of a disappointing first half during which Andy Marshall was the central figure. The Ipswich goalkeeper was injured in a collision with the Leicester striker Brian Deane in the ninth minute, and his substitute James Pullen was stripped and ready to replace him before Marshall signalled that he was fit enough to carry on.

Ipswich were grateful that he did, for Marshall then produced two fine saves which prevented Leicester from taking the lead. Within two minutes of the incident, James Scowcroft – playing against his former club – hit a bouncing right-footed shot that Marshall did well to get down to parry away. Then, on 40 minutes, the keeper tipped Deane's flicked header onto the crossbar after the big striker had been picked out by Scowcroft.

Marshall was finally beaten on 54 minutes, though not before heated appeals after Leicester had been controversially awarded a penalty, apparently for a handball by Fabian Wilnis as he attempted to block a shot from Deane. Wilnis was booked for his protestations before Dickov strode up to fire the home side ahead.

Marshall kept Ipswich in the game on 72 minutes when he turned Billy McKinlay's shot away for a corner but, just when it looked like the game was slipping away from the visiting side, Gaardsoe pulled Ipswich level.

With six minutes to go Ambrose curled a free-kick from the left into the box and the Danish defender, falling backwards, kept his balance long enough to steer a header over Ian Walker and into the Leicester goal. Four minutes later, Ambrose collected a loose ball in the area and fired home the winner.

Leicester City: Walker, Impey, Heath, Elliott, Rogers, Scowcroft, Izzet, McKinlay (Benjamin, 90), Stewart, Deane (Summerbee, 82), Dickov. Substitutes not used: Stevenson, Lewis, Flowers (gk).

Ipswich Town: Marshall, Holland, Gaardsoe, Makin, Wilnis (Ambrose, 58), T Miller, Magilton (Wright, 72), Clapham, Hreidarsson, Couñago, M Bent (Naylor, 70). Substitutes not used: Pullen (gk), D Bent.

Referee: S Mathieson (Cheshire).