CarlingNet - No 1 for Match Reports

Leicester v Newcastle 26/10/96 3.00

Leicester               (1) 2 Newcastle               (0) 0 FT
Claridge 17                   
Heskey 79

Newcastle's seven-match Premiership winning streak came to a shattering end as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Leicester in a bad-tempered match at Filbert Street.

Kevin Keegan's star-studded outfit arrived with a three-point lead at the top of the Premiership and with high hopes of matching Manchester United's record eight-match winning run in the top flight.

But they lost their composure after Steve Claridge gave Leicester a 17th-minute lead against the run of play.

And Emile Heskey added a second goal 11 minutes from time after Leicester keeper Kasey Keller had performed heroics to deny the visitors an equaliser.

Keegan had hoped his side could demonstrate their ability to manage without England skipper Alan Shearer, recovering from a groin operation, but instead they turned in an unconvincing performance.

Shearer's absence had been expected to provide a first team run for £7.5million Colombian Faustino Asprilla but after an unimpressive performance in the midweek Coca-Cola Cup win over Oldham he was demoted to the substitute's bench.

Newcastle's starting line-up showed four changes from the Oldham game with Shaka Hislop, Warren Barton and Robbie Elliott also dropping down to the bench, with Steve Watson, John Beresford and Robert Lee returning to the side.

Les Ferdinand, who had partnered Asprilla in midweek, linked up with Peter Beardsley with Lee on the right side of midfield.

Leicester made one change from the side which won at York in the Coca-Cola Cup on Tuesday with Muzzy Izzet, who had missed that clash with a back strain, returning in place of Garry Parker.

Newcastle had begun brightly and Ferdinand's 10th-minute header from David Ginola's left-wing cross had Kasey Keller diving to his right to pull off a finger tip save.

But it was Leicester who took the lead against the run of play on 17 minutes Claridge stabbing the ball home from six yards after Pavel Srnicek had failed to hold onto Simon Grayson's low shot.

Newcastle lost their composure and Philippe Albert and Robert Lee were booked in quick succession for rash challenges on Scott Taylor.

Lee volleyed over from Beresford's cross on the half hour and Ginola followed Albert and Lee into the book on 34 minutes for playacting referee Graham Poll deciding he had made a meal of Grayson's harmless-looking challenge near the left touchline.

Newcastle emerged for the second-half bristling with determination and Ferdinand's 47th-minute downward header from Ginola's inviting cross had Keller diving to his left to pull off a fine save.

Keller came to the rescue again when he got down quickly to save Ginola's 62nd-minute deflected free kick and four minutes later he performed more heroics, saving Ferdinand's shot with his legs after Steve Watson had put the England striker through on goal.

Keegan brought on Asprilla and Paul Kitson for Lee Clark and Watson on 68 minutes but the move failed to galvanise Newcastle.

Darren Peacock came to the rescue, intercepting Marshall's goalbound shot after the striker had latched onto Batty's underhit back pass and rounded Srnicek.

But, after Albert had headed wastefully wide from Beardsley's chip into the box, Heskey killed off Newcastle's hopes of salvaging a point with 11 minutes remaining, latching onto Muzzy Izzet's pass and sidestepping Srnicek before tucking the ball home.