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Soccer

As Leicester's forward fluidity dries up, their grit sees them through again

Leicester City have extended their lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League to seven points...



As Leicester's forward flu...
Soccer

As Leicester's forward fluidity dries up, their grit sees them through again

Leicester City have extended their lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League to seven points after a 1-0 home win over Southampton.

The result means the club are just four wins from making history.

After second-placed Tottenham dropped points at Liverpool yesterday, Wes Morgan's first half header proved enough for the Foxes.

It is their fourth 1-0 victory from their last five matches as they edge ever closer to a first ever league title.

Danny Simpson had a chance to make it 2-0 with the goal gaping but he fired a weak shot straight at Saints keeper Fraser Forster.

His Leicester opposite number Kasper Schmeichel made an acrobatic save to deny Jose Fonte a goal from long range earlier in the game.

Sadio Mane also had a glorious chance at 0-0 when played through behind the Leicester defence but as he lifted his shot past Schmeichel his attempt came back off the arm of Simpson from close range.

Leicester City's Wes Morgan (centre) gets up above Southampton's Jordy Clasie to score their first goal of the game with a header during the Barclays Premier League match at the King Power Stadium, Leicester. Picture by: Nick Potts / PA Wire/Press Association Images

Durability

Leicester have not been as fluid going forward in recent months, but all the hallmarks of their recent resilience and ability to grind out results was visible at the King Power Stadium.

Morgan may have headed the winning goal, but the captain marshalled the defence with aplomb as he and centre-back partner Robert Huth have done by sitting deep and remainig compact with their full-backs.

As balls came in from wide and the channels for Graziano Pelle to attack, they were able to limit the Southampton target man's threat.

The team only lost one aerial duel in their own box once and one two in the opposition area, which is how Morgan's goal came about.

N'Golo Kante - who attempted 10 tackle and finished with four interceptions - and Danny Drinkwater's energy in front of the back-line also proved important to stem the flow of attacks from the opposition.

That durability, grit and solidity is ever important as Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy no longer find the scoresheet every week, although the duo - Vardy in particular - pressed the opposition defence and ran the channels. 

Indeed, the England forward might be scoring at international level, but last scored for his club against Arsenal in mid-February.

However, his hard-work, the solidity of the team and Mahrez's winners have seen the Foxes past almost every challenge that has fallen their way in recent weeks. 

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