Evans slip stalls revival

Leicester City 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1

Leicester can point to an eighth straight game unbeaten, but this was a chance wasted to pull level on points with Portsmouth at the top of the First Division. That they managed even a draw in a game they went on to dominate was down to one of those goalkeeping horror stories, with Wednesday's Paul Evans taking a fly-kick at a back-pass and completely missing it.

The pass was from Paul McLaren, who thus was credited with both goals, having put Wednesday in front with a free-kick. Following their demolition of Coventry in midweek, the Sheffield club thus continued their late battle to climb away from relegation danger. It was the third away match in succession that they have avoided defeat, but this revival may not be enough.

In his programme notes, the Leicester manager, Micky Adams, conceded one or two of his players were "slightly below par" at the moment, and with no opportunity to sign anyone else, he will have to get by with what he has. Adams seemed to be below par, too, missing the post-match conference because he was not feeling well, but his assistant, Alan Cork, revealed Leicester's attitude with the comment: "We are still getting points, 10 games to go, still in the box seat. Another game gone, another point in the bag."

It was hard to equate the home side's early play with yesterday's survey suggesting Leicester's men are the nation's most virile. It was Wednesday who did the early swaggering and threatening, to the delight of their large and loyal following, and they went in front in the 25th minute following Matt Elliott's unnecessary foul on Shefki Kuqi on the edge of the penalty area in a central position.

Three Wednesday players hovered over the ball, but it was McLaren, a Bosman recruit from Luton, who struck a vicious shot, which was helped on its way past Ian Walker in the Leicester goal by a deflection.

The closest Leicester came to a goal was Paul Dickov's header, turned over by Evans, as conditions underfoot were made tricky by the onset of heavy rain.

Words had clearly been directed at the home team during the interval, because they resumed full of intent. James Scowcroft's shot looked a goal all the way, only for Gary Monk to put in a deflection which carried it wide.

But the equaliser after 50 minutes was all down to Wednesday. McLaren opted for a long-distance return pass to his goalkeeper when it did not seem the best thing to do and Evans, in his haste to send it back upfield, swung a boot, completely missed the ball, and watched mortified as it trickled just inside an upright.

Jeered by the home fans at his end, Evans managed to put the nightmare behind him well enough to keep Wednesday level with some confident stops, though in injury time it needed two defenders to clear a Muzzy Izzet header off the line. Clearly a long-suffering and forgiving chap, Wednesday's manager, Chris Turner, called the Evans blooper " just part and parcel of the game".

Leicester City 1
McLaren og 50

Sheffield Wednesday 1
McLaren 25

Half-time: 0-1 Attendance: 27,463