MOCKREE

[Fox in a Box]

Leicester City went out of the Carling Cup last night in th cruellest possible way - to a deflected last minute extra-time winner after a heroic display against Aston Villa at the Walkers Stadium last night.

Twice City came back to draw level in a fantastic clash and the highest accolade they earned was that this was every bit as spirited a display as visiting boss Martin O'Neill saw from any of his City sides.

A penalty shoot-out was looming when City failed to clear their lines and the predatory Gabriel Agbonlahor, popping up on the left, smashed in a fierce drive which beat the gallant Paul Henderson with the help of a deflection.

It was harsh on City and especially harsh on Henderson who had a brilliant match and, like the rest of his team mates, ill deserved to be on the losing side.

He had seen justice done when, at 2-2, referee Mark Clattenburg awarded the second of two dubious penalties to Villa, this time in the last minute of normal time for a shirt pull by Momo Sylla on Chris Sutton. He had done the same in first-half stoppage time for a trip by Gareth McAuley on Stilian Petrov.

The first looked highly dubious, the second downright wrong but Henderson ensured extra-time with a fabulous save from Gareth Barry's spot kick.

As the teams shaped up for extra-time, City coach Mike Stowell was banished to the stands for complaining about Clattenburg's decision and it would have been a travesty of City had gone out to such a blunder.

City had fully earned this reprieve by a long way. Patrick Kisnorbo, Nisse Johansson and Iain Hume apart, this was basically a mixture of reserves and youth-teamer Eric Odhiambo who went on for his debut late in the second half.

The midfield was put in the teenage hands of converted defender Richard Stearman and James Wesolowski with Sylla on the right and Alan Maybury at right back.

They were stunned in the fifth minute when a run and cross by Agbonlahor was turned in by Juan Pablo Angel in the middle but they recovered very well, eventually coming to grips with the superior pace and skill of the visitors.

Some half chances came and went until four minutes before the break when an Hume shot was blocked by another familiar face, ex-City keeper Stuart Taylor, and Stearman crashed in the rebound.

That seemed that for the second half but, in stoppage-time, came the first penalty decision to strike City and the interval team talk had to be radically changed.

For a time, Villa looked comfortable on their lead and well into the closing stages they must have felt their job was done but, from a right-wing corner, Kisnorbo headed home City's second equaliser of the evening.

The roar for that goal was loud enough but the next one, for Henderson's save, was double that, underlining the superb atmosphere created by a pulsating encounter.

Odhiambo, on after 76 minutes, had a nervy start to his first-team career but settled down in extra-time to show up well in such exalted company, playing his part to the full.

What a pity the balance was swung away from City so late.

But they had met and largely matched a Premiership team with a makeshift outfit of their own and that surely exceeded expectations under the circumstances.