West Bromwich Albion vs Leicester City. Premier League.
The HawthornsAttendance24,150.
Saturday 31 October 2015 22:31, UK
Jamie Vardy scored in his eighth consecutive Premier League game as Leicester came from behind to win 3-2 at West Brom.
The home side took the lead through Salomon Rondon's header on the half-hour mark, but Riyad Mahrez struck twice after half-time, the second from an offside position, to turn the game on its head.
Vardy then joined Ruud van Nistelrooy and Daniel Sturridge in netting in his eighth straight game before substitute Rickie Lambert pulled one back for the Baggies with a late penalty.
West Brom boss Tony Pulis would have every right to feel aggrieved, though, as his side were also denied two strong penalty claims during the game by referee Anthony Taylor.
Leicester started by far the better of the two sides, and it was the in-form Vardy who nearly broke the deadlock in the opening minutes.
The striker turned Jonny Evans inside and out before hitting a low effort that appeared to be heading in at the near post, but West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill just about got down in time to touch it onto the woodwork.
Before today, all eight of West Brom's Premier League goals this season had come in either the 15 minutes before half-time or the 15 minutes after the break (four in each period), and Rondon's opener was just seconds out from continuing that record, as he powered home a header at the near post from Stephane Sessegnon's corner just before the clock hit 30 minutes.
West Brom had the momentum and felt they should have had a penalty when Evans had his shirt pulled in the box by Leicester striker Leonardo Ulloa - but referee Taylor wasn't interested.
Then, just before the hour-mark, Leicester found the equaliser through Mahrez, who got onto the end of a superb Marc Albrighton cross before stroking it past Myhill.
Moments later the Baggies were calling for a penalty again after captain Darren Fletcher was cleaned out by Robert Huth inside the box. Again, though, it was waved away by Taylor, and just three minutes later the Foxes were in front in controversial circumstances.
It was the combination of Albrighton and Mahrez again who conjured it, but this time the Algerian was clearly offside as he got onto the end of the ball in before firing home.
Then, with West Brom still furious, Vardy raced through onto a pass by Danny Drinkwater before striking his 11th league goal of the season with 13 minutes to go.
The Baggies fans left the stadium in droves, but for those who remained there was something late on to cheer when substitute Callum McManaman was brought down in the box before his fellow replacement Lambert sent Kasper Schmeichel the wrong way with the resulting spot-kick.
Lambert went close again in the dying minutes, but Leicester held on as they moved up to third in the Premier League table.
Player Ratings
West Brom: Myhill 5, Dawson 4, McAuley 4, Evans 4, Brunt 4, Sessegnon 6, Yacob 5, Fletcher 5, McClean 4, Berahino 4, Rondon 6
Subs: Lambert 7, Morrison 5, McManaman 6
Leicester: Schmeichel 6, Simpson 6, Morgan 7, Huth 6, Schlupp 6, Mahrez 8, Drinkwater 7, Kante 6, Albrighton 7, Ulloa 5, Vardy 8
Subs: King 5, Dyer 5, Okazaki 5
Man of the match: Riyad Mahrez
