KELECHI IHEANACHO deservedly fired Leicester to their first FA Cup final since 1969 = on the day fans returned to football.
The two-goal quarter-final hero did it again as he pounced on a rebound from his own shot on 55 minutes to sink subdued Southampton and set up a May 15 clash with Chelsea.
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Leicester edged a cautious and scrappy start, largely thanks to Youri Tielemans looking lively with his simple passing in midfield.
Jamie Vardy and Ayoze Perez then conjured the finest move of the opening half on 28 minutes, with Perez’s resulting cross just too high for Kelechi Iheanacho.
But there was no effort on target before the break, and indeed Southampton failed to produce any sort of shot.
And on 54 minutes Iheanacho made the breakthrough the Foxes merited.
Having largely been quiet before this moment, he netted at the second attempt following a brilliant burst-and-cross from Vardy down the left.
Iheanacho’s strike made him Leicester’s 15-goal top scorer this season.
And it finally sparked the Saints into attacking action.
James Maddison came on for Perez midway through the second half following his beach of coronavirus restrictions.
Vardy and Maddison went close in the final quarter of an hour as the Foxes’ frustrated Southampton with strong defending plus nippy counter-attacks to hold on comfortably.
FULL REPORT TO FOLLOW
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