Fryatt’s Wolves Winner Boosts Foxes’ Survival Hopes
King Power Stadium is the venue for the Foxes’ season opener on Saturday 14 August (3pm BST kick-off), and is also the location of several historic clashes with the West Midlands outfit down the years.
Back in 2006, both teams were in the second tier of English football and after a goalless draw at Molineux Stadium earlier in the season, played out the reverse fixture in February...
Leicester City 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0
Saturday 4 February, 2006
Championship
King Power Stadium
The Foxes headed into the encounter off the back of a morale boosting 3-2 away win over Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road four days earlier, in what was Rob Kelly's first game in charge of the Club.
Leicester had been without a win in 10 league games, since 26 November, 2005, and following a run of six straight defeats, manager Craig Levein departed, with Kelly stepping up from his role as assistant manager.
Matty Fryatt was on the scoresheet in the victory over QPR, which moved City out of the Championship relegation zone, and in front of 21,358 fans at King Power Stadium (then known as Walkers Stadium), he repeated the feat.
His 70th-minute goal proved to be the difference between the teams, and his third strike in four games handed Leicester a precious three points in the fight to remain the division.
Kelly’s men triumphed again the following week, winning 2-1 away at Brighton & Hove Albion to maintain the 100 per cent record under the caretaker manager, who was then appointed until the end of the season.
In his first 10 games, the Foxes took 21 points from a possible 30 and Kelly was awarded the Championship Manager of the Month award for March 2006.
They would eventually end the 2005/06 campaign in 16th position, having collected a total of 54 points from their 46 Championship fixtures. City won eight of the 16 games under Kelly, who was appointed on a permanent basis in April 2006.
City: Douglas, Stearman, Maybury, Johansson, Kisnorbo, McCarthy, Hughes, Gudjonsson, Wesolowski, Fryatt, Hume (O’Grady 74).
Subs not used: Smith, Gerrbrand, Hammond, Williams.
Goal: Fryatt 70'