David Nugent fired Leicester into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after sealing a 2-1 upset over Norwich at Carrow Road.
Foxes cause upset at Carrow Road
David Nugent fired Leicester into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup after sealing a 2-1 upset over Premier League newcomers Norwich at Carrow Road.
The Canaries have been flying high in the top-flight but failed to keep out their Championship visitors, who took an early lead through Sean St Ledger when the defender nodded a Ben Marshall corner past goalkeeper Jed Steer.
The hosts pulled one back after 22 minutes when Foxes keeper Kasper Schmeichel felled Elliott Bennett in the area and the referee pointed to the spot.
Wes Hoolahan saw his initial penalty saved by Schmeichel only for the ball to rebound back to the Canaries captain, allowing him to slot it home.
But Leicester found the winner 20 minutes from time when Jermaine Beckford flicked the ball on for Nugent, who netted from 12 yards.
Disallowed
Leicester's victory might have been more convincing if Wes Morgan's backheel, which appeared at first sight to have crossed the line, had been allowed.
Beckford also hit the bar as Norwich's high-flying season took an unexpected jolt.
Norwich lie in eighth place in the Premier League with their survival already virtually guaranteed and such is the confidence in the squad that Paul Lambert barely considers fielding weakened teams in the cup.
There were four changes to the starting line-up from the side which beat Swansea away last weekend.
Lambert rested leading scorer Grant Holt and first-choice goalkeeper John Ruddy was on the bench, allowing his understudy Steer a piece of the action.
Captain Hoolahan returned, along with Leon Barnett, and striker James Vaughan started on the bench after five months sidelined with a knee injury.
It was Leicester, however, who took the game to Norwich in the first half. Nigel Pearson's side were intent on an attacking game and they took a shock lead after five minutes.
It came after a series of three corners whipped in by Marshall. The first two were scrambled away by the Norwich defence but the third was met crisply by the head of St Ledger who guided the ball past goalkeeper Steer and into the net.
It was deserved reward for Leicester's enterprise and for Marshall, in particular, who was causing Norwich all sorts of problems.
Norwich were back on terms after 22 minutes, however, when Leicester goalkeeper Schmeichel had an aberration, barging into Bennett in the penalty area as the ball spun towards them.
Referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot and Hoolahan stepped up.
Schmeichel almost made amends for his error, pushing away Hoolahan's spot-kick but only as far as the Norwich captain who coolly slotted home the rebound.
Norwich were level but Leicester, with Richie Wellens industrious in midfield, were still giving as good as they got and on the half-hour their players were claiming they should have gone ahead from a corner.
The ball landed at the feet of defender Morgan who backheeled the ball goalwards only to see it strike the chest of Norwich defender Elliott Ward, who appeared to have both feet behind the goal-line.
Leicester claimed the ball had crossed the line but Mr Dean and his assistant waved play on. On first sight it looked a harsh decision but television replays struggled to show all of the ball had crossed the line - another case where goal-line technology would have settled matters.
There was no let-up in the attacking intent of both sides in the second half.
The last thing either side wanted was a replay and Norwich should have gone ahead after 53 minutes but Bennett saw his goalbound shot hooked off the line by Wellens.
Stepped up
On the hour mark, Lambert made a double change, Vaughan coming on for Simeon Jackson and Aaron Wilbraham for Steve Morison.
It was Leicester, however, who stepped up the energy levels and it was just reward when they went ahead after 70 minutes.
Beckford flicked the ball on and Nugent stepped inside defender Barnett far too easily before slotting a precise right-foot shot past Steer.
Norwich launched a late rally and brought two fine saves from Schmeichel but it was Leicester who went closest to scoring again when Beckford hit the crossbar with a left-foot shot.
