Ward's Shootout Exploits Get City Through In Walsall
Although City couldn’t break through in 90 minutes at Sky Bet League 2 side Walsall, three superb penalty saves from Ward booked the three time winners' place in the fourth round. Steve Cooper’s men will discover their next opponents in the competition during Wednesday evening’s draw. Caleb Okoli was the only Fox to remain in the XI after Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Everton, as the Manager made 10 changes ahead of kick-off. Ricardo Pereira took the captain's armband in Walsall, Odsonne Édouard was also handed his first City start. Saddlers striker Albert Adomah, the former Middlesbrough and Aston Villa man, was also making his 700th professional appearance.
Ward, one of the players to come in for Leicester, was first called into action after 17 minutes. The ball was fizzed across the visitors’ area and there was Charlie Lakin to go for goal on the edge of the six-yard box. The former Liverpool ‘keeper, though, positioned himself well and got a strong arm to it. The Foxes’ first real opening came midway through the half, although new loan signing Édouard couldn’t keep his effort down. Facundo Buonanotte, on the other hand, also drilled wide for Cooper’s men. As the first half reached its conclusion, another chance came Édouard’s way. Boubakary Soumaré’s cross was dangerous, nodded on by Buonanotte. Perhaps it was an attempt at goal from the Argentine but it could have become an assist. Édouard, though, didn’t have enough time to reconfigure his body and it glanced off his thigh and landed into Tommy Simkin’s grasp.
With nothing between the sides at the interval, albeit with City dominating the possession stats, it was nearly the fourth-tier hosts to strike first early in the second period. Nathan Lowe’s cross cut the backline open and freed Adomah in space, but the experienced striker conspired to send his hit wide of Ward’s net from close range. It was a big let off for Leicester, eager to avoid a cup upset in the West Midlands. Abdul Fatawu was a man on a mission on 70 minutes, charging down the right channel and firing into the side netting, always working against a tight angle in front of the travelling Blue Army. The Ghanaian then swung a boot at a high ball on the edge of the box, sending a half-volley flying narrowly the wrong side of the far post. Luke Thomas’ poke at goal was then smothered by Simkin before the Walsall goalkeeper also leapt across his line to catch Buonanotte’s point-blank header. The Foxes were edging closer. That’s not to say it was all falling their way, as Taylor Allen was denied a late winner by a team-mate’s accidental block at the other end in the final moments.
And so it went to penalties, neither side able to break the deadlock in normal time. While Ricardo made no mistake from the spot, Allen found Ward in his way. The Wales international did brilliantly to get across his goal and set the tone. Conor Coady’s spot-kick soon put the visitors in a commanding position, further cemented by another excellent Ward dive to his right to parry David Okagbue’s hit from 12 yards. It was 3-0 to City when Oliver Skipp clipped it into the bottom corner. Ward completed his shootout winning exploits with another smart stop to deny Liam Gordon and wrap up safe passage for the Foxes. Job done for the visitors, who are again on the road this weekend in the Premier League, away at Arsenal.