Marcal-Madivadua Thrilled To Claim Match-Winner

- Leicester City’s Development Squad recorded a 2-1 success over Brighton on Monday
- Wanya Marcal-Madivadua netted the winning goal for the Foxes late on in Seagrave
- Will Alves was also on target in the comeback Premier League 2 win 
- Marcal-Madivadua believes it was important to turn the game around and claim the points

A tight Premier League 2 Division 1 encounter with Brighton & Hove Albion Under-23s at LCFC Training Ground looked to be heading for a 1-1 stalemate until the midfielder produced a stunning 87th-minute strike to claim the points for Leicester.

The Portugal Under-20s international, who now has four league goals to his name for the Under-23s this season, played in a wing-back role against the Seagulls and revealed he is comfortable adapting to different positions when required.

The 19-year-old was also handed his first team bow in the Emirates FA Cup earlier this month and, when chatting to LCFC TV following his last-gasp heroics, says he feels in a good place after making a positive start to the year.

He commented: “It’s always good to get a goal, especially in the last minute, to help the team get an important three points so I’m delighted. Towards the end of the game, my legs were going so it was just a hit and hope and luckily it came off the crossbar and I scored.

“It’s all going good. Happy to make my [senior] debut last week, just hopefully I’ll keep banging in the goals and getting more opportunities for the first team. It’s good to play in different positions at times. I played there a bit last season, so I was used to playing that position, but it was good.”

Gallery 17 Jan 2022

Leicester City U23s 2 Brighton & Hove Albion U23s 1

30

Photos

The Foxes had gone in at the break with a one-goal deficit, courtesy of Cameron Peupion’s early opener, but with the words of coach Ben Petty in their ears, the hosts got back on level terms. Will Alves restored parity with a fine individual run and finish on the hour-mark.

He added: “[Ben Petty] just told us to carry on. We changed our press a little bit, to make it more aggressive, and it worked out in the end, we got more opportunities. [Will Alves] is a good player, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before from him. He does it every day in training. I’m delighted for him.”

City have now won four of seven games in Seagrave and will look to take the momentum from their latest triumph on home soil into a meeting with league leaders West Ham United at Rush Green next Monday (4pm GMT kick-off).

Marcal-Madivadua continued: “Every time we play at home, the manager is always telling us to make this place a fortress and don’t concede goals and give the fans a show, basically. We did that tonight, so it’s really good.

“As a team, we can gain confidence from this game and go to West Ham and hopefully get another three points.”