Irons ten men caught at death after Noble goes studs up

Leicester City 1 Irons 1

Gotta be happy with that!

We went into the game with seven injuries to influential players…lost another via an act of stupid and dangerous stupidity, and hung on to a precious lead for 50 minutes with ten men before conceding a massively deflected equaliser.

It’s always desperately disappointing when the win is with seconds of completion but even that can’t take anything  away from one of the gutsiest and determined displays you are likely to see from an Irons side this season.

But just what captain Mark Noble thought he was doing when producing a studs up challenge on Wilfried Ndidi  after 38 minutes when there was really no need to go in at all only he will know.

We had taken a firm control on the game eight minutes earlier when Balbuena scored following a neat free kick from Anderson and were really testing the Leicester defence.

Noble’s challenge changed everything and during one of those heart stopping second halves we become all to used to as Irons, the defence and outstanding Declan Rice were supreme.

At the end of it all we have moved up to 13th place and with the two teams who can leapfrog us – Burnley and Palace – clashing with Chelsea and Arsenal tomorrow we have every chance of staying there.

Declan Rice was rightly voted man of match on BT Sport but honourable mentions have to go to Diop, Balbuena, Zaba and Grady Dianaga who was always busy and whose clever ball shielding won the free kick which led to the goal.

Fabianski had to be at his best on several occasions and Snodgrass put in one hell of a shift .

Some will see it as two points lost but given what happened before with the injuries and during for which Mark Noble must take total responsibility – the draw will do.