Leicester City were held to a 0-0 draw by a battling Mansfield Town side in their friendly at Field Mill last night.
The travelling support were heartened by the impressive displays of two new men making their first pre-season appearances, Dany N'Guessan and Richie Wellens, with the biggest cheer of the night from the Blue Army coming in the second half when star defender Aleksandar Tunchev entered the fray for the first time since his serious knee operation back in January.
City started with Luke O'Neill at right back, Michael Morrison and Wayne Brown in the middle of the back four with Bruno Berner at left back.
The attack had pace with Max Gradel on the right, Lloyd Dyer on the left and N'Guessan up front with Steve Howard, the central midfield comprising Wellens alongside Andy King who was also making his first appearance of the pre-season.
The Stags had ex-City man Scott Garner in their defence.
Right away City looked purposeful with the pace of N'Guessan and the drive of Wellens particularly impressive and in a fine move, an N'Guessan cut-back from the left was turned just wide by Howard.
At the other end, a snap shot from 20 yards by Stags midfielder Jonathan D'Laryea was well held by City keeper Chris Weale on a surface made treacherous by heavy rain beforehand and soon the pattern of City dominating was restored, an O'Neill cross proving too hot for home keeper Alan Marriott to handle, the clearance of the loose ball coming just in the nick of time before Howard had another shot saved.
Towards the break, great skill by N'Guessan touched the ball beyond the keeper but as Howard was about to finish, he was foiled by a last-ditch clearance.
For the second half, City made changes, Paul Dickov on for Howard, Chris Powell on for Berner and Conrad Logan in goal for Weale.
Soon City survived a scare when the Stags had the ball in the net only for an off-side flag to cancel it out.
At the other end, Marriott lost a high ball and N'Guessan just could not get the vital touch of the loose ball.
N'Guessan was in the thick of it again when Nicky Adams, on for Gradel, sent the attacker through on the right for a low drive a fraction wide of the far post.
Then came a great roar of welcome when Tunchev entered the fray for Brown on the hour mark and the Bulgarian looked as if he had never been away instead of out of action since January following a knee operation.
Play was pretty even in the closing stages with Logan making a fine save from Jason Bradley but the City defence, the cornerstone of last season, were never really in any great danger of being breached.
City 4-4-2 Weale; O'Neill, Morrison, Brown, Berner, Gradel, A King, Wellens, Dyer, Howard, N'Guessan. Subs Adams (58 for Gradel), Logan (45 for Weale), Hobbs, Tunchev (60 for Brown), Chambers (72 for Dyer), Dickov (45 for Howard),Powell (45 for Berner), Ajdarevic (80 for Wellens), Verma.
Mansfield Town Marriott; Gardner, Graham, Garner, Armstrong, Briscoe, D'Lryea, Mills, Williams, Perry, Clare. Subs Sandercombe, Silk (80 for Williams), Heckingbottom (70 for Armstrong),Jones, Somner (76 for Mills), Naylor, Ryan , Bradley (58 for Clare).
Referee R Booth.
