Leicester City took their fans on a rollercoaster ride as Timothy Castagne handed Dean Smith his first win since taking over the relegation-threatened Foxes, with a 2-1 triumph over Wolves.
The Belgian full-back swept home Victor Kristiansen’s 75th minute cross to hand them a much-needed three points and drag them out of the relegation places on goal difference at a cacophonous King Power Stadium.
"You could see the fans were happy because we tried to play better football than before - more aggressive," said the match-winner. "That is a big one today. Everyone was thinking it was going to be tough. We have a bit more confidence and know we can do it."
Smith had won only one of his seven previous Premier League meetings against Wolves and his side came into this having won only two of their last 16 league games - taking just one point from their last nine outings. They were without a league win since February 11.
But having shown fight against Manchester City last week and having created a plethora of chances during a much-improved second half - OK, they were 3-0 down at the break - they had reason to believe that they could end their dismal recent run.
However, they’re the only club in Europe’s top five leagues NOT to keep a clean sheet since the World Cup - a run that took only 13 minutes to continue.
Youri Tielemans took possession deep in his own half, but the Belgian dawdled and was pounced upon by Mario Lemina. Matheus Cunha took over and from 20 yards fired hard and low beyond Daniel Iversen.
Leicester had started brightly. Shorn of James Maddison through illness, Smith had lined up with Kelechi Iheanacho, Patson Daka, Tete and Jamie Vardy all starting. But by the half hour mark, as Wolves repeatedly cut through the home side midfield and created a number of scoring opportunities, the home crowd grew increasingly agitated.
Throughout, Smith, on his home debut, stood at the edge of his technical area, with either hands in pockets or arms folded, seemingly in disbelief that his side were proving so easy to play through.
But Wolves couldn’t extend their lead. Shots went wide, shots were blocked, the final pass was misplaced and crosses were either under or overhit, much to Julen Lopetegui’s clear frustration on the sidelines.
That frustration was only enhanced in the 36th minute, when a sloppy midfield giveaway saw the hosts counter. Iheanacho slipped Vardy through into the penalty area, Jose Sa rushed out, slipped and cleaned out the ex-England striker around the ankle. Off the field after receiving treatment, Vardy watched Iheanacho coolly convert from the penalty spot.
A much-needed gift for the hosts.
The home crowd were suddenly fervent and in first half injury time almost saw their side take the lead. Iheanacho cut in from the right and curled towards the top corner, and a save that should’ve been comfortable was poorly dealt with by Sa, who then had to fling himself at Daka’s feet as he looked to tap in from close range.
Vardy went off at half-time, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall replacing him and the homegrown midfielder went close within five minutes of the restart, his whipped 25-yard effort going narrowly wide.
Wolves, so dominant for much of the first-half, suddenly looked so uncertain. Ruben Neves replaced the injured Lemina at half-time but he didn’t help generate any early control in the second period and Lopetegui’s rapid gesticulations only increased when Dewsbury-Hall slammed a shot over the bar from eight yards.
Immediately, substitutions and a tactical change were called for, Hwang hee-Chan and Joao Moutinho brought on, the latter to try and give the side the composure lacking since Leicester’s equaliser. Nevertheless, it remained a frantic, frenetic affair, full of errors and loose passes, with a home side egged on by an increasingly raucous crowd.
Sa denied Caglar Soyuncu’s fierce effort from point-blank range but could do nothing about Castagne’s clinical finish.
That sealed a much needed win for the new Leicester boss, ahead of a monster showdown against fellow strugglers Leeds on Tuesday night.
