Outfoxed by the 10 men – Albion pay penalty for poor second half

Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Leicester City 1

Albion let a comfortable lead slip to a Leicester team who played for over an hour with ten men.

The Seagulls were already in front after Glenn Murray headed in an Anthony Knockaert corner when James Maddison was booked a second time. The referee Chris Kavanagh adjudged that Maddison had dived after getting in a tangle with Shane Duffy.

The attacking midfielder had earlier been booked for fouling Knockaert.

Albion failed to capitalise immediately despite having plenty of possession. Pascal Gross was flagged offside but still rounded Kasper Schmeichel and fired into an empty net. This seemed to incense the keeper who came rushing out of his goal to remonstrate with the referee.

Beram Kayal found himself one on one with Schmeichel but the big Dane pushed the effort wide.

Before half time Jose Izquierdo found Murray in space but again the offside flag went up.

Leicester started to ramp things up early in the second half.

Albion’s midfield were squeezing balls through. Propper found Murray but in a battle of the veterans Wes Morgan won the foot race.

Izquierdo let fly after cutting in but Schmeichel was equal to it again.

Pascal Gross on his return from injury was throwing in his Cruyff-style turns but was struggling to get a foothold in the match.

With Jamie Vardy on for Demarai Gray, the Foxes looked a far more potent attacking force.

Aside from Izquierdo, half chances Albion were not really testing Schmeichel.

Beram Kayal, fresh from his scoring appearance for Israel in the week, went on a mazy run and won a corner.

Izquierdo, finding a pass from Bernardo Fernandes Da Silva Junior, cut inside but fired his shot wide.

Vardy was putting himself about, leaving his foot in on Maty Ryan – but then got the same treatment from Shane Duffy.

For a while Jason Steele warmed up as Ryan limped around his box.

With 11 minutes left Jonny Evans’s shot appeared to strike an Albion hand then as Kelechi Iheanacho was poised to shoot, Kayal upended him.

Vardy fired the resulting penalty past Ryan to make it 1-1.

Albion immediately brought on Florin Andone for his Amex debut as Gross made way.

Both teams had chances to grab all three points. Dunk made a superb clearing challenge that fizzed past Ryan’s upright. Vardy ran riot.

With minutes left, Solly March – on as sub – floated in a cross that Duffy glanced and Dunk would probably have planted in the goal if it had been left.

Jurgen Locadia replaced Murray. The Dutch striker got involved straight away and did cause Leicester some problems. Kayal found himself in acres of space but fired his effort just wide rather than giving it to Andone.

Albion just didn’t do enough to finish Leicester off and stay 12th in the Premier League with 15 points.

Next up the Seagulls travel to Yorkshire to face Huddersfield Town at almost exactly the same point as last season. The match is scheduled for a 3pm kick-off next Saturday 1 December.