LONDON (Reuters) -Harvey Barnes netted a superb second-half equaliser to give Leicester City a 1-1 draw at Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday as the home side finished with 10 men after Shandon Baptiste was sent off in the closing stages.
Their first away draw of the season brought an end to a run of four straight league defeats for Leicester, but they made it difficult for themselves.
Leicester started brightly, with Barnes flashing an early shot past the far post and Patson Daka steering a header just wide moments later, but it was Brentford that looked the stronger side and they took the lead in the 32nd minute.
The home side made the most of a clever short corner to leave the Leicester defence floundering and the ball fell to Danish midfielder Mathias Jensen, who was able to send a deflected left-foot drive into the net, his fourth goal in five home league games.
Leicester’s attack failed to muster a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes, but Barnes came to the rescue seven minutes into the second half.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall picked out James Maddison in the middle and he slid a pass into the path of Barnes who dinked the ball beautifully over the keeper to make it 1-1.
That goal swung the game in Leicester’s favour and manager Brendan Rodgers sent on striker Jamie Vardy to try to make the most of it.
Leicester forced a succession of set pieces and their cause was further helped by the dismissal of substitute Baptiste, who picked up two bookings within four minutes to earn a red in stoppage time.
Leicester stayed 16th in the table on 25 points, ahead of Everton on goal difference and one clear of West Ham United in 18th.
Brentford, who could have broken into the top six with a win, are eighth on 42 points, behind sixth-placed Liverpool and seventh-placed Brighton & Hove Albion on goal difference.
“When we needed that bit of quality we got it and it’s a great goal from Barnes,” Leicester boss Rodgers told the BBC.
“He’s a goalscorer, you get wingers who are more one-v-one guys, and he can do that of course, but his main skill is his goalscoring,” Rodgers added.
“Today, we gave nothing too much away, we dug in and showed spirit and resilience. I was really pleased in that way.”
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor, editing by Ed Osmond and Toby Davis)
