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England striker Jamie Vardy scored for the eighth successive Premier League game to help Leicester to a 3-2 come-from-behind win at West Brom on Saturday and into third in the table. Club record-signing Salomon Rondon put West Brom into a first half lead but Leicester hit back after the break with a brace from Riyad Mahrez and red-hot Vardy getting the third. Ricky Lambert scored from the penalty spot to give West Brom late hope but the Foxes held out to maintain their unbeaten record away from home this term. This sixth win of the season moved Claudio Ranieri’s highflyers up to 22 points, three adrift of leaders Manchester City and Arsenal and one clear of fourth-placed Manchester United. While West Brom manager Tony Pulis fielded the same XI that had seen off Norwich last week, Ranieri made one change from the team that lost to Championship side Hull in the League Cup in midweek, Leonardo Ulloa replacing Christian Fuchs for his first start of the season. Leicester started the stronger at The Hawthorns, with Vardy letting fly with a left-footed shot on seven minutes, the ball glancing off keeper Boaz Myhill and hitting the woodwork. As the half-hour approached Stephane Sessegnon delivered a corner for Venezuela striker Rondon to head home powerfully past Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel, despite the Danish international’s hand touching the ball. West Brom were aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty four minutes from the break after a goalmouth clash between Robert Huth and Gareth McAuley. The Baggies’ lead lasted until the 57th minute when, against the run of play, Marc Albrighton crossed from the left for Mahrez to knock in side-footed at the far post. That was the Algerian international’s sixth league goal of the season and number seven came along minutes later when Albrighton again sent in a cross, this time from the right, with Mahrez scoring from close range. West Brom’s appeals for offside were dismissed. Vardy kept up his remarkable scoring record with 13 minutes left on the clock, outpacing the West Brom defence after exchanging passes with Danny Drinkwater to rifle the ball low past Myhill. That was the Premier League top scorer’s 11th goal of the season and the 28-year-old’s eighth in as many league games, a feat only bettered by Daniel Sturridge (nine) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (10). West Brom reduced the deficit with six minutes left as Lambert scored from the penalty spot, sending Schmeichel the wrong way after Nathan Dyer had felled Calum McManaman. By AFP |
