A Lloyd Dyer strike helped earn Leicester City a 1-1 draw against Luton Town in a pre-season friendly at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday evening.

The winger's 55^th minute close range shot cancelled out Matthew Spring's first-half screamer in a keenly contested affair ahead of the big kick-off.

It could have been even better for the Foxes with former Hatter Steven Howard rattling the crossbar and seeing a 60^th minute penalty saved by Town keeper Dean Brill.

DJ Campbell and substitute Matty Fryatt also tested the hosts' shotstopper but the scoreline remained level at the final whistle.

The visitors carved open the first real chance of the game on five minutes when Campbell latched on to a long ball forward by Harry Worley, but Brill was equal to the task and blocked the striker's shot.

Campbell was at it again three minutes later but he just failed to connect with Steve Howard's angled ball forward after some neat build-up play.

At the other end, Sam Parkin could not meet Jarvis' teasing ball into the area in the 11^th minute.

Campbell headed over the bar from Max Gradel's right wing cross on 14 minutes.

The striker should have handed his side the advantage a minute later but after a neat move involving Gradel and James Wesolowski, he somehow put his side-footed effort wide from inches out with the goal at his mercy.

The Foxes continued to press and on 19 minutes Lloyd Dyer put his free-kick from 25-yards out narrowly wide of the left-hand upright.

Howard was crowded out two minutes later as he tried to register a shot on target.

The target-man came even closer in the 23^rd minute when his header from Gradel's deep cross beat Brill but ricocheted back off the crossbar, before being hacked clear by Sol Davis.

A moment's hesitation from Conrad Logan let in Michael Malcolm but his snap shot sailed over the bar.

However, the Hatters did open the scoring on 29 minutes when Matthew Spring picked up the ball in midfield before finding the back of the net from 30-yards past a helpless Logan.

Howard tried to restore parity in the 33^rd minute but his drive flew the wrong side of the right hand post.

Brill saved from Gradel moments later whilst at the other end Logan got down well to deny Stephen O'Leary.

Dyer fired over from the left-hand angle four minutes before the break and it remained 1-0 to the home side at half-time.

Kerrea Gilbert and Radostin Kishishev replaced Mattock and Matt Oakley respectively at the break with James Chambers switching to left-back.

Dyer had his shot blocked by Ed Asafu-Adjaye on 53 minutes but he made amends in the 55^th minute when he finished clinically from close range after Howard had dummied Gradel's cross from the right hand flank.

City could have gone a goal up on the hour after referee Kevin Friend had awarded the visitors a penalty for a handball by Alan Goodall inside the area.

But Brill reacted brilliantly to palm away former Luton striker Howard's spot-kick from 12-yards for a corner.

Recent signing Nicky Adams replaced Gradel on 64 minutes before Howard and Campbell made way for Matty Fryatt and Ashley Chambers in the 70^th minute.

Fryatt came close in the 73^rd minute but saw his shot graze the left hand post.

Malcolm fired wide on 78 minutes after being put clean through while Ashley Chambers shot narrowly off target in the dying moments.

Nigel Pearson's men are back in friendly action on Thursday night when they travel to local outfit Quorn (7.30).

City: Logan, Chambers J, Morrison, Worley, Mattock (Gilbert 45), Gradel (Adams 64), Oakley © (Kishishev 45), Wesolowski, Dyer, Howard (Fryatt 70), Campbell (Chambers A 70).

Town Starting XI: Brill, Trialist, Emanuel, O'Leary, Asafu-Adjaye, Parkin, Spring, Davis, Jarvis, Malcolm, Trialist.

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicester)

Attendance: 1,934 (270 away)