U21s Report: Leicester City 3 Southampton 3

The visitors took the lead in Nuneaton after just 14 minutes, when a shot from Josh Sims deflected over Adam Smith, but the Foxes responded well to regain the advantage before the break. 

It was on-loan Manchester United man Nick Powell who made the difference – scoring twice in six minutes to make it 2-1. His first was a powerful low drive into the bottom corner, and the second an equally emphatic finish from close range. 

Saints striker Ryan Seager levelled matters on the hour mark with a fine low finish from just inside the box, but Anthony Knockaert looked to have won the match with a close range finish 15 minutes from time.

However Seager struck with another good finish just as the game went into stoppage time to salvage a point for the Saints.

Knockaert and Powell played the full 90 minutes on the night, alongside fellow first teamers Marc Albrighton and Tom Hopper.

The Foxes faced a tough test against a Southampton side looking to move to the top of the league with a win in Nuneaton, but they started brightly, with Knockaert’s low effort bringing a good save out of Paulo Gazzaniga inside three minutes. 

But for all City’s positivity, it was the Saints who struck first courtesy of a fortunate deflection on a Sims shot from 18 yards, which looped up and over Adam Smith for 1-0. 

Moments later, in search of an equaliser, Joe Dodoo did well to keep a ball to the far post alive, but Gazzaniga was equal to Tom Hopper’s header and tipped it over the bar. 

On the half hour mark, Knockaert teed up Dodoo for a shot that was well saved, before Powell finally beat Gazzaniga just two minutes later – racing through and firing low into the bottom corner on his left foot. 

Albrighton then saw a powerful drive cleared off the line, but it didn’t take long for the Foxes to strike again, and again it was Powell with the telling touch. 

After Callum Elder had seen his instinctive shot saved from close range by Gazzaniga, Powell reacted quickest to fire high into the roof of the net, edging City in front. 

Saints striker Omar Rowe did strike the upright in first half stoppage time, but Beaglehole’s side took a deserved lead into the break. 

The Saints came out fighting, with Smith doing well to deny Seager when one-on-one, while at the other end Dodoo drilled wide from City’s 11th corner of the evening. 

However despite City’s pressure, a moment of clinical finishing from the visitors saw them level – Seager turning well inside the box to send a low finish past Smith. 

Albrighton’s crossing and some efforts from range by Jak McCourt were causing problems, but despite looking the more likely to score, the Foxes weren’t testing Gazzaniga as they had in the first half. 

That was until Knockaert showed a cool head in the box to make the most of a scramble - turning the ball onto his left and slotting underneath the goalkeeper for 3-2.

Southampton continued what was a highly entertaining encounter with a flurry of chances, but it wasn't until the 90th minute that Seager finally hauled them back level - looping a shot over Smith to secure a point.

CITY: Smith, Sesay, Barmby, McCourt, Kennedy, Elder, Knockaert, Powell, Hopper (c), Albrighton, Dodoo (Davis 76) 

SUBS NOT USED: Maddison, Scott, Panayiotou, Stankevicius 

GOALS: Powell 32, 38, Knockaert 75 

SOUTHAMPTON: Gazzaniga, Flannigan, Debayo, Gape, Mugabi, McCarthy, Sims (Willard 27), Little (Mason 46), Seager, McQueen, Rowe 

SUBS NOT USED: Britt, Barnes, Cook 

GOALS: Sims 14, Seager 61, 90 

REFEREE: Michael D’aguilar