Classic New Year’s Day Clash – Taming The Lions At The Den
Millwall welcomed the Foxes to the capital for both sides’ first fixture of 2014 and a chance for Leicester to extend their winning streak to four league matches.
While Neil Harris’ men were perched dangerously close to the relegation trapdoor and fighting for points near the bottom of the standings, City had more loftier ambitions to exit the division…
Millwall 1 Leicester City 3
Wednesday 1 January, 2014
The Den
Sky Bet Championship
The Foxes continued their charge towards the Sky Bet Championship title by defeating Millwall on New Year’s Day, eight years ago. Beginning 2014 on top of the table, a win would maintain a four-point gap to second-place Burnley, even if the Clarets were able to overcome Huddersfield Town at home, which they managed to do.
Events at The Den, meanwhile, were immediately going in favour of the away side, who managed to get their noses in front inside the first six minutes when Anthony Knockaert’s low drive sent them en route to a dominant victory.
The second half began in similar fashion too, in fact this time it took just two minutes from the kick-off to net a second. One-time England international David Nugent header in from close range to double the visitors’ advantage and send the travelling supporters into rapture.
The contest was not over, however, and the Blue Army would have been slightly nervous as they watched Richard Chaplow grab a goal back for the Lions, though Nigel Pearson’s in-form charges would restore their two-goal cushion courtesy of substitute Jeffrey Schlupp’s stoppage-time strike and end any hopes of a comeback.
With 51 points from 24 games, things were looking good for Leicester at the midway point of the season and remained that way as they marched to promotion from the second tier, returning to the top flight after a decade-long absence.
City: Schmeichel, Moore, Morgan, Wasilewski, Miquel, Knockaert, Hammond, King, Dyer (De Laet 55’), Taylor-Fletcher (Schlupp 73’), Nugent (Drinkwater 80’).
Unused subs: Konchesky, James, Waghorn, Logan.
Goals: Knockaert 6', Nugent 47', Schlupp 90'.