Leicester go top with narrow win over West Brom

Leicester City climbed back to the top of the Championship with victory in a dramatic Midlands derby against West Brom at the King Power Stadium.

Vardy also missed a penalty at the end of the first half.

Leicester are four points clear of third-placed Leeds with both sides having three matches left to play.

West Brom remain fifth and in a strong position to make the play-offs, but were left to regret a string of missed opportunities, particularly after the break.

There was a frenetic tempo throughout, with mistakes from both sides stirring the nervous energy in the air. Just two minutes in, Okay Yokuslu squandered the chance to silence the raucous home crowd by shooting over, before a misplaced Ndidi pass ended a Leicester attack at the other end.

Hamza Choudhury kept the scores level with a superb goal-line clearance from Mikey Johnston's driven effort, before the winger danced his way through and forced Mads Hermansen into a save.

Johnston was causing havoc on the counter-attack as he went close again, bullying Abdul Fatawu off the ball before firing over the bar.

The Baggies were punished for their misses when Ndidi opened the scoring on 22 minutes, and the relief felt palpable. Vardy's header from Wout Faes' cross was blocked by Alex Palmer but Ndidi was on hand to slam home the rebound.

With half-time looming, the game took another dramatic turn. Yokuslu brought Vardy down just inside the area and a penalty was given, but the striker's effort struck the post.

Two more stunning Choudhury goal-line denials early in the second half kept the Foxes in front. He deflected Grady Diangana's close-range effort for a corner, from which Diangana failed to turn the rebound from a header, which hit the bar, home.

Astonishingly, before the hour, Leicester's lead remained intact. Diangana squandered another opportunity when he shot wide from Darnell Furlong's cross, before Furling himself saw an effort deflected wide by Faes.

Once again, on 65 minutes, Leicester made the visitors pay for their failure to score, Vardy redeeming himself after his earlier penalty miss to head home Fatawu's pinpoint cross.

Wallace finally got West Brom on the scoresheet 11 minutes later, finishing well from Cedric Kipre's superb long ball, but despite a late rally, they were left to rue their poor finishing in the end.

Leicester manager Enzo Maresca told BBC Radio Leicester:

"An important win especially at this stage of the season. West Brom played only one game like this, with a line of five, against Wolves this season.

"We were not sure [how they would set up] so they surprised us at the beginning of the game.

"We didn't start well in the first 10 minutes then we adapted and for half an hour in the first half, we were good and we could've scored more goals.

"The second half was a little bit up-and-down; that's normal because everyone was a bit nervous after two defeats. I think we are where we deserve to be now.

"We are now closer - we still need to win some games and to finish the season in the best way.

"For some moments we controlled the game for others we were up and down, it was like a basketball game."

West Brom manager Carlos Corberan told BBC Radio WM:

"My thoughts are simple; today we deserved more than we achieved.

"From the beginning to the end the team competed well, managed the game well.

"There were only a couple of situations we didn't manage well. In terms of the pressing and the play in the attacking half, I am more proud of this game than the last seven away from home which we didn't lose.

"My team showed a massive level of personality. We done what we were able to do and that wasn't enough to win the game.

"We know the play-offs are in our hands and we are prepared to fight until the last second of the last game."