sport

Foxes frustrated in Robins stalemate

Basso: In inspired form

The Robins' promotion aspirations were given a tough examination by Ian Holloway's relegation-threatened side.

Adriano Basso's goal led a charmed life at times as a combination of poor finishing from the hosts, some desperate defending and moments of brilliance from Basso kept Leicester at bay.

Gary Johnson would have been quietly confident before the game of chalking off one of the six wins that he believes his side require in order to clinch automatic promotion, but in truth Leicester looked like they were the side destined for the Premier League.

The game started brightly with chances at both ends.

After a tame 18-yard volley from Lee Hendrie and a goalbound shot from inside the area by Darren Byfield that was blocked, DJ Campbell stung Basso's palms with an angled drive in the second minute after cutting inside from the left-hand side of the box.

Leicester continued their early probing and the majority of the fans inside the Walkers Stadium were celebrating a goal in the fifth minute before learning that Iain Hume's deflected volley had in fact hit the side netting.

Byfield's reverse pass created a chance for Michael McIndoe two minutes later but his shot from the edge of the six-yard box was well blocked by Paul Henderson.

Steve Howard could not keep his far post header down following Jamie Clapham's left-wing cross in the 11th minute.

After a frantic start the game settled into a more pedestrian pace.

Marvin Elliott's right-foot shot from 20 yards out midway through the first half was always curling harmlessly wide.

At the other end, Howard headed over the crossbar again on the half hour mark.

Hume spurned a guilt-edged chance to put Leicester in front in the 37th minute when, from a central position and 12 yards out with only Basso to beat, he blazed his shot wide.

The Canadian wasted another opportunity three minutes later following a surging run down the right-hand side by Kelvin Etuhu.

The on-loan Manchester City winger squared the ball to Hume on the edge of the area, who tried to pick out the top corner but curled his shot just over the crossbar.

In added time at the end of the first half Basso produced a fantastic save to block Hume's angled shot before Etuhu somehow poked the rebound wide from inside the six-yard box.

The start to the second half mirrored that of the first half with openings at either end.

Howard's header from Hendrie's corner was scrambled off the line before Hendrie squandered a glorious chance in the 49th minute.

Howard headed Etuhu's cross down into Hendrie's path but the on-loan midfielder sliced his volley wide.

Bristol City almost made their hosts pay immediately after when a neat one-two between Elliott and Dele Adebola on the edge of the area resulted in the former hitting the inside of the post with an angled left-foot shot.

The Robins rattled the woodwork again midway through the second half.

Brian Wilson made a surging run from right-back before unleashing a thunderbolt of a shot that thumped against the crossbar and appeared to bounce down over the goal line.

Gareth McAuley and Howard had shots blocked on the goalline in the 73rd minute before substitute Joe Mattock almost scored with his first touch as he slid in at the far post.

Basso did brilliantly to hold McAuley's low volley that travelled through a crowded penalty area, before the Brazilian denied Howard again late on with another superb parrying save.