Leicester Land Spurs Striker

Harry Kane has joined Championship promotion contenders Leicester City on loan until the end of the season at the same time as penning a new Spurs contract until 2017. It will be the second Championship loan of the 19-year-old striker’s career so far after he spent a successful spell at Millwall last campaign. England Under-19 international Kane also had a spell at Norwich earlier this season but was troubled by injuries. He goes straight into Leicester’s squad for their match against Blackpool on Saturday.

Bristol City 0-4 Leicester

Chris Wood fired in a first-half hat-trick as Leicester secured an easy 4-0 win at Ashton Gate to send Bristol City to the foot of the npower Championship. The former Robins loanee made it nine from his last five games and six in three since joining the Foxes from West Brom. Most of the damage was done before the break, inflicted by a combination of Ben Marshall, home goalkeeper Dean Gerken and the unstoppable Wood. Marshall provided the ammunition for the first two goals, though Gerken will have to shoulder the blame for the second as he flapped at an 18th-minute corner. And Gerken looked culpable again when Wood's long-range shot crept under his body four minutes before the interval, taking the striker's tally for the season to 17. Matty James added the fourth to compound the woes of Derek McInnes, whose side now prop up the pile following Barnsley's victory over Leeds. It took just 11 minutes for the visitors to get off the mark. Marshall played a precise pass down the left flank, Wood controlled, cut inside and drove home. The visitors forced a corner seven minutes later and capitalised on some poor goalkeeping from Gerken, who tried to punch it clear but failed to make sufficient contact, and Wood tapped in the loose ball. McInnes' shellshocked side struggled to muster any meaningful response as Pearson's men continued to control proceedings. And they were rewarded with a third goal just before half-time. Wood unleashed a shot from 20 yards and though Gerken got across his goal to cover it, the ball squirmed under his body. Things got even worse for the hosts early in the second half. They sloppily conceded possession inside their own half, James took full advantage, advancing to within striking distance to pick out the bottom-right corner for his first goal since August.

Nugent returns to Haunt old Club

David Nugent scored against his former club as managerless Leicester ended their away-day hoodoo with a 3-1 victory at Burnley.Leicester were rewarded for their early intent, albeit through an unlikely source. With 20 minutes played Paul Konchesky, a summer signing from Liverpool, appeared on the left flank to seize a loose ball. He glanced up before scooping his shot against Lee Grant's fingertips and into the top corner.Burnley's response was immediate and when Sol Bamba's careless clearance bounced high and onto the head of Ross Wallace, he instinctively nodded the ball over Kasper Schmeichel and into the gaping net.It was former England cap Nugent, impressive throughout the first half, who had the visitors ahead in the 54th minute. Paul Gallagher stormed down the right wing before supplying a pinpoint cross for Nugent to head home gracefully from close range.The provider turned scorer eight minutes later. Referee Geoff Eltringham adjudged Andre Amougou to have body-checked Andy King in the penalty area, with Gallagher on hand to confidently power home the resulting spot-kick.

Beckford Joins Leicester City

Beckford arrives to seal move

Leicester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson landed his man last night with the £4.5million capture of Everton striker Jermaine Beckford.Beckford becomes City's 12th signing under the former England boss and takes Eriksson's spending near to the £15m mark.The 26-year-old forward arrived at the King Power Stadium just 40 minutes before last night's 11pm transfer window deadline to complete the formalities of his switch to City.
Eriksson said: "He is a goalscorer, you just have to look at his record. We have always said we will take in a striker or wide player."Beckford, who signed a four-year deal that was confirmed by City just before midnight, said: "The size of the club attracted me as well as the manager and what he wants to achieve here at Leicester, and I see the club going places. We will go for the title."It was very difficult to turn it down and it will be very exciting to work with Sven, I can't wait to get started."Beckford admitted it was a "wrench" to leave Everton but said he has done it to "play more games and score more goals."

City had made an earlier bid for Beckford, believed to be around £2.5m, and pitched in again after finally giving up on Bristol City striker and long-time target Nicky Maynard.

Everton have signed striker Denis Stracqualursi – who had a trial at Leicester earlier this year without Eriksson pursuing the matter – on a season-long loan from Argentinian side Tigre, as well as Real Madrid midfielder Royston Drenthe, which has convinced Toffees boss David Moyes it is right to sell Beckford.

The two clubs agreed a fee in the region of £4.5m earlier in the day and the Mercury understands that Beckford is not among the high earners at Goodison Park, so City were able to offer him an attractive package.

The big issue for City to overcome was persuading the former Leeds United player, who has spent the past four years aspiring to play in the Premier League, to drop down to the Championship – but Eriksson has won the battle.

Eriksson has finally landed the goalscoring striker he wants to end a protracted search which started in the summer.

He suffered frustrations along the way with targets Shane Long, then of Reading, opting to sign for West Brom, while Peterborough's Craig Mackail-Smith favoured a move to Championship newcomers Brighton. But Eriksson's focus had been on Maynard, making four bids for the 24-year-old striker, the last one understood to be in the region of £5m.

Bristol were not prepared to sell him and the player is holding out for a Premier League club move, possibly in January.

"I would guess it is over," said Eriksson earlier yesterday.

Match Report: Leicester City 3 Southampton 2

Rickie Lambert's controversial own goal proved decisive as Leicester claimed three much-needed points in a 3-2 win against Southampton.The Foxes were promotion favourites at the start of the season after making several acquisitions but it was Southampton who led the pack going into the game having won their first four matches. That made for an entertaining afternoon at the King Power Stadium, with the hosts finding themselves 2-0 up in the early stages through goals from Darius Vassell and Richie Wellens.Andy King was the orchestrator for the first, capitalising on being afforded too much space to send in a delicious centre, which Vassell nudged past Kelvin Davis and into the net.Jeffery Schlupp, looking a constant threat after replacing the injured David Nugent, held the ball up brilliantly before teeing up Wellens, who struck a gorgeous curler off the inside of the post from 25 yards for the second.Dan Harding pulled a goal back for Saints, nodding in Adam Lallana's cross, before the defining moment came just before the break when Lambert headed past his own goalkeeper. The goal was given, much to the visitors' dismay, despite Sol Bamba appearing to push the Saints striker.David Connolly then pulled another goal back for Nigel Adkins' men after the break - another header - but it proved in vain as Leicester claimed the points.

Match Report:Leicester 1 Bristol City 2

City suffered their second home defeat in as many games this season as Nicky Maynard inspired Bristol City to their first win of the campaign.Maynard scored twice, either side of a David Nugent equaliser, to give the Robins victory King Power Stadium, having also missed a penalty during a frustrating first half for Sven-Goran Eriksson's Foxes.The former Crewe striker ultimately proved the difference between the two sides - making the most of two defensive errors to settle an even contest and leave City searching for form ahead of their weekend trip to local rivals Nottingham Forest.Showing five changes from the weekend, including a debut for Sean St. Ledger in place of skipper Matt Mills, City started well on Wednesday night - Nugent and captain Richie Wellens combining to release Lloyd Dyer down the right and his cross cut out just before it reached Paul Gallagher.It was the sort of the purposeful start the home fans were looking for, but when Sol Bamba pulled a long ball down on his chest and lost out to Jamal Campbell-Ryce on the edge of his own box, Gelson Fernandes' foul afforded the visitors their first sight of goal.Five minutes on the clock and Maynard made no mistake; fizzing a 20-yard drive in off the inside of the post from Neil Kilkenny's touch.But as the home side's tails started to lift, an error from St. Ledger cost them dearly.Bristol City's pressing game had been impressive all night - Maynard and Kilkenny particularly quick to close down space - and Maynard finally got his reward on 66 minutes.Bearing down on St. Ledger 10 yards inside the Foxes' half, Maynard stole possession before raiding away at pace.Bamba raced across to cover, but Maynard saw him coming, slipping past the Ivorian before slotting past Schmeichel with confidence.Knowing they would have to come back once more, City set about the task well and nearly found an equaliser on 77 minutes - King working his way into the box down the left before chipping into the box, where Gerken flicked the ball against the fortunate Lewin Nyatanga, who unwittingly found the arms of his goalkeeper.

Millen's visitors should have closed the game out in the final stages - substitutes Kalifa Cisse and Ryan Taylor both wasting glorious openings at the death.

But it was City that nearly produced the late drama when St. Ledger's high ball into the box was spilled by Gerkan under pressure from Neil Danns, and Bamba failed to find the unguarded target under pressure from Nyatanga.

Match Report:Coventry 0 Leicester City 1

Leicester may have had a glamorous pre-season – but it has clearly taught them grit.The international connections of Sven Goran Eriksson saw the Foxes take on a trio of high-profile European sides – but it was a good, old-fashioned Championship performance which earned them their first three points of the season.There was nothing crude about the play – hosts and visitors both knocked the ball about well – but Leicester had to show some doggedness to eke out the victory.They suffered as Darius Vassell was red carded after only 11 minutes when he went for a loose ball and caught Richard Keogh.That gave Coventry the upper hand but they failed to make it count and were reduced to 10 men when Carl Baker rashly dived in on Richie Wellens.Leicester hit the post before the interval and soon after the break they sealed the points through a first Championship goal from Lee Peltier, who joined them in the summer from Huddersfield.
Wellens, who is all too familiar with the Championship, believes the side will have to gel from the off to justify their tag as promotion certainties.He said: “We played against some top teams, so our shape was always going to be good. We have played Real Madrid, Valencia and Real Majorca.They have had the majority of the ball in those games so our pre-season has largely been made up of running and that showed!“It was the first time that this side had played together so you would expect it to take some bedding in but there is no time for that. We have to hit the ground running so we can get up there and stay up there.“We were bottom after nine games and struggling, whereas QPR won their first seven and were up and away from that point on. That gives you some room to have not such a good spell, which is almost inevitable.“We have a massive squad and if those in the team don’t do well, I am sure he will bring others in.”Coventry, on the other hand, have been tipped for the drop after losing three key players in the summer, but Wellens was impressed by the new style introduced by manager Andy Thorn.He added: “I did not think it was a typical Championship game at all. Coventry got the ball down and played some really good football.“Their manager has come in, changed the way they play and I thought they looked a very good team.“They lacked a cutting edge but the lad Lukas Jutkiewicz did well for them and caused problems.“I thought we were always in control, we defended well, kept our shape and created a few chances.”Certainly Thorn has brought a new style to the Sky Blues after the axing of Aidy Boothroyd with 10 games to go last season.But the departure of leading scorer Marlon King and a pre- season injury to Freddy Eastwood, has left them short in front of goal.That, and Baker’s silly challenge, made it an uphill struggle they could not quite overcome.Skipper Sammy Clingan said: “When we both had 11 men, I thought we were on top for the majority. They had a man sent off and I felt we were in control.“Leicester are the team who have been spending the most money. They are the Manchester City of the Championship but there was not much between us.“We moved the ball well from side to side, got into the box and created some chances, but there was a lack of concentration from our player to get sent off because the referee is always likely to even it up in those circumstances.“It was not in an area where the challenges needed to be made and it was a bit of stupidity, but you learn from these mistakes and move on.“I am sure that Carl will learn from it. I think their player made the most of it, but he told me that Carl did catch him.

“You see sendings-off for less than both of those challenges, but the referee had made his decision and you have to stick at it.“We have Lukas and Gary McSheffrey there and hopefully they can combine well together.
“We lost Kingy, who was good in front of goal but him going is not the be all and end all and we had to move on.”