A close-range strike by Andy King deep into stoppage time gave City a victory which was only justice against Plymouth Argyle at the Walkers Stadium this afternoon.

Such was the home side's dominance that the goalless draw, as seemed likely going into added time, would have been a travesty but the Foxes' well-known "fight to the last" ethic prevailed and in a goalmouth scramble King got the final touch to bring the deserved three points. 

City, skippered by Wayne Brown in Matt Oakley's absence, made two changes, Yann Kermorgant and Paul Gallagher in for Oakley and Dany N'Guessan, and were soon on the attack with a Kermorgant snap-shot from 25 yards going just over. Next, good work down the right by Matty Fryatt and Andy King led to Richie Wellens trying a chip shot which drifted just off target.

Again City came forward and when Martyn Waghorn sent Fryatt through, the opener loomed but the City striker's effort went inches wide of the target. Play then switched to the other end where, from a Plymouth free-kick, Kermogant turned defender to head the ball clear for a corner which came to nothing thanks to a good clearing punch by Chris Weale.

The visitors then had a short burst of attacking, Jamie Mackie getting into the area  only to be foiled by good defending from Jack Hobbs and soon after it was Paul Gallagher doing well to clear a cross from the left. Brown was booked breaking up an attack before a shot from  Alan Judge was deflected for a fruitless corner.

But normal service was soon resumed and a fine run by Fryatt won a corner which was turned out to Wellens whose fierce drive was blocked away by the keeper. Bruno Berner was next to test the keeper with a fine shot then a great move down the left by Gallagher and Waghorn led to Fryatt glancing a header wide.

It was powerful stuff from City and in the last minute of the half, a Waghorn free-kick on the right was met by Brown on the far post for a point-blank header which was somehow deflected into the side net for a corner and not the goal City's superiority deserved.

City restarted purposefully and after good work by Gallagher and Wellens, Waghorn tried a hook shot which went just over. Next, a Berner cross was headed in by Waghorn but the keeper made a good save before Waghorn again tried his luck, this time with a 25 yarder just wide.

It was just all City, a Waghorn run and cross setting up Gallagher for a shot deflected wide for a corner that came to nothing. Fryatt then worked his way through for a shot which was smothered by a grounded defender but their appeals for a penalty came to nothing.

N'Guessan joined the action for Kermorgant and was instantly involved, winning a corner before the visitors threatened momentarily, a free-kick by Judge being well cleared by Brown whose later challenge on Mackie in the area was not only judged no penalty but brought a booking to the attacker for a dive.

Into the closing stages, City turned the screw, an N'Guessan shot saved and, into stoppage time, City had a series of corners. At last, they prevailed when an N'Guessan shot was squeezed off the line but King was there to ram the ball home and give the Foxes the result they overwhelmingly deserved.

City: Weale; Neilson, Hobbs, Brown, Berner, Kermorgant, Wellens, A King, Gallagher, Fryatt, Waghorn. Subs: Logan, McGivern, Morrison, Howard (76 for Waghorn), Adams (84 for Fryatt),N'Guessan (72 for Kermorgant),Campbell.

Booked: Brown

Plymouth: Larrieu; Sawyer, Lowry, Patterson, Duguid, Arnason, Judge, Folly, Mackie, Gow, Fletcher. Subs: Letheren, Johnson (88 for Duguid), Fallon (80 for Gow), Clark (60 for Patterson), Sheridan, Barnes, Noone.

Booked: Sawyer, Mackie.

Referee: D McDermid.

Attendance: 27,174.