Soccer
Leicester strike twice in first-half stoppage time to sink Plymouth
Will Alves and Harry Howell opened their Leicester accounts to ease the pressure on manager Russell Martin by delivering a much-needed victory over Plymouth.
The two youngsters were both on target in a dramatic period of first-half stoppage time as Martin’s men claimed their first three points since being relegated from the Championship last term.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid should have netted a third with less than a quarter of an hour remaining but, having exchanged passes with the excellent Sammy Braybrooke, fired tamely over. Argyle’s Tyreeq Bakinson struck a post late on.
The opening period perfectly encapsulated City’s recent form, with their overly complicated approach and insistence on retaining possession threatening to undermine some impressive attacking work.
With goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk being stretchered off after less than a minute following a collision also involving Jayden Joseph and Argyle’s Ronan Curtis, De Cordova-Reid twice went close before they seized control on the cusp of half-time.
In the third of five added minutes, homegrown midfielder Alves’s deflected shot beat Murphy Cooper, following Louis Page’s assist.
Two minutes later, Howell, on loan from Brighton, doubled their advantage when Cooper spilled Braybrooke’s effort into his path.
