Argyle were left to rue a host of missed opportunities and two disastrous minutes at the end of the first half as the Greens slipped to a 2-0 defeat at King Power Stadium.
Tom Cleverley’s side employed a high press throughout the evening which created several chances, especially in the first half, that Argyle couldn’t convert.
Leicester then punished Cleverley’s men in first-half stoppage time. First, it was Will Alves that saw a shot flick off Alex Mitchell and in off the underside of the crossbar.
Murphy Cooper then spilled a Sammy Braybrooke shot and Harry Howell was there to double the hosts advantage, essentially killing the game off.
We should have seen the chaos coming with a break in play straight from the kick off as Ronan Curtis collided with Jakub Stolarczyk chasing a long ball and the goalkeeper went down for a lengthy period. He was eventually stretchered off with what looked like a knee injury and was replaced by Alex McCarthy.
Argyle had the first chance of the game, and it came from the aforementioned high press. McCarthy dallied with the ball for too long and Will Evans stole it off him eight yards out. He crossed for Bradley Ibrahim, but the midfielder couldn’t steer his header goalwards and the chance went begging.
Alves looked lively on the Leicester left all evening and he crossed for Admir Bristric but his flicked shot was blocked, and Cooper collected. Louis Page then struck a shot from range, but the Argyle stopper saved comfortably.
The hosts were really starting to turn the screw and should have taken the lead with Page sliding a brilliant pass into Bobby De Cordova-Reid who turned and fired a shot at goal from the angle, but it whistled just past Cooper’s far post.
The same man had another excellent chance after Alves was played in on the left and he cut it back for De Cordova-Reid but his shot from the edge of the box was wild and went well wide.
Evans stole the ball again off Luke Thomas, found Xavier Amaechi who slid it back to Evans on the right. He crossed but it was beyond everyone and nothing came from it.
The former Mansfield man then got in behind from a sumptuous Harvey White pass but couldn’t control it and the ball trickled through to McCarthy. Ibrahim then found the side netting after intricate Argyle passing. Alex Hartridge and Curtis combined on the left with the former finding the midfielder, but he tried to catch McCarthy out at the near post, and it didn’t quite come off.
The hosts then took the lead in first half stoppage time as Alves found space on the edge of the box and fired a shot at goal that flicked off Mitchell’s leg and in off the crossbar, giving Cooper no chance.
From the kick off, Leicester then doubled their advantage, Braybrooke found space too easily and fired at goal and Cooper couldn’t hold on and only parried it as far as Howell, who slotted home.
The first 15 minutes of the second half were somewhat of a non-event, but the introduction of Bim Pepple immediately brought a chance Argyle’s way. He shrugged off Thomas and forced McCarthy to tip wide. The resulting corner was headed behind for another one, but the next one saw McCarthy make another great save as he pushed away a powerful Hartridge header from a White cross.
Evans then got to the byline and dinked a ball into the box, but Harry Souttar was there to head away with five Argyle players poised.
The hosts should have completely killed the game off as Liam Cullen and De Cordova-Reid combined to set the latter through on goal, but he could only lift his shot over Cooper’s crossbar.
Christian McFarlane then tried his luck from 25 yards, but it was straight at Cooper and seconds later Page freed Wes Burns, but he dragged his shot well wide of the far post.
Tommy Watson was introduced and he was slid in on the left by Braybrooke who had carried the ball 50 yards, but the substitutes shot was wide of the target.
Caleb Watts looked lively following his introduction and he almost got on the end of a rebound. Matty Sorinola struck a shot from range and found the base of the post, it came back to Watts but he was offside as he was about to finish.
He then should have scored moments later. Wes Harding slid him in behind Souttar, the attacker was through on goal but could only find the hand of McCarthy with the goal gaping.
It really wasn’t going to go in for Argyle as an Evans cross was then blocked behind. He headed goalwards, but McCarthy was there again to make the save and that was that. A frustrating evening for the Greens that could have given so much more if chances were taken.
Leicester City: 1 Jakub Stolarczyk (29 Alex McCarthy, 6’), 2 Jayden Joseph (32 Olabade Aluko, 81'), 9 Admir Bristric (11 Liam Cullen, 52’), 14 Bobby De Cordova-Reid, 15 Harry Souttar (capt), 18 Christian McFarlane, 20 Harry Howell (7 Wes Burns, 52’), 25 Louis Page, 33 Luke Thomas, 36 Sammy Braybrooke, 37 Will Alves (23 Tommy Watson, 81'). Substitutes: 24 Ilari Kangasniemi, 60 Riley Carr.
Yellow Cards: Jayden Joseph 43, Harry Souttar 87, Sammy Braybrooke 90
Goals: Will Alves 45+3, Harry Howell 45+5
Argyle: 1 Murphy Cooper, 5 Julio Pleguezuelo (27 Bim Pepple, 61'), 7 Harvey White, 9 Will Evans, 10 Xavier Amaechi (14 Oliver Irow, 46'), 11 Ronan Curtis (29 Matty Sorinola, 46'), 15 Alex Mitchell, 19 Tyreeq Bakinson, 22 Alex Hartridge, 23 Bradley Ibrahim (17 Caleb Watts, 70'), 45 Wes Harding (capt). Substitutes: 21 James Storer (gk), 2 Mathias Ross, 8 Joe Edwards,
Yellow Cards: Xavier Amaechi 38
