By
March 9 2005
Foxes fire blanks as winless run goes on Levein's mind last night, however, was focused more on halting a slide that has sent City perilously close to above the Championship relegation zone. This was Leicester's sixth league game without a win but this point could yet prove considerably more valuable than any fleeting moment of Cup glory.
Levein had similarly rang the changes, albeit for different reasons following his side's humbling home defeat to Nottingham Forest, and included in his line-up for the first time the centre back Patrick McCarthy. The decision to draft in the former Manchester City player almost brought instant reward when Gareth Williams picked out the young defender with a sixth-minute corner, only for McCarthy to head tamely over.
If McCarthy's effort was wasteful it was nothing compared to Ian Moore's fluffed attempt in the opening minute when the Burnley forward found himself spearheading a three-man assault on Ian Walker's goal without a visiting defender in sight. However, instead of squaring to John Oster or Graham Branch, Moore overran the ball allowing Walker to smother the ball.
Those opening exchanges summed up the the failings of the two sides who have both found goals hard to come by this season and there were precious few opportunities during the remainder of the first half. Walker again reacted well to deny Moore while David Connolly shot wide after a sharp turn.
Leicester finally offered a glimpse of the form they will need to show if they are to get anything out of their trip to Ewood Park when Williams and Scott Gemmill combined 10 minutes after the break to carve open the Burnley defence and culminated in a sharp effort from Stephen Hughes which Brian Jensen did well to save.
Once again, one chance led to another, this time when Branch found space in the Leicester box only to pull his right-foot shot past the diving Walker and beyond the far post.
The Guardian
Leicester emerged unscathed from the first leg of their East Lancashire double-header but the manager Craig Levein will know his side will have to perform better if they are to force their way past Blackburn Rovers on Sunday and claim an unlikely place in the FA Cup semi-finals.
Daily Telegraph
Leicester City produced some fleeting moments of good football but could not secure the victory which would have eased their growing relegation worries last night.
Without a win now in seven League matches, they remain just five points above the safety mark.
Burnley were in no mood to be hospitable and might even have taken the lead inside the first minute but Ian Moore, who was clean through, allowed the ball to run away from him and Ian Walker cleared the danger.
Manager Craig Levein made five changes to the Leicester line-up, including giving a debut to Patrick McCarthy and the former Manchester City defender had the chance to make a dream start, but headed over from Gareth Williams' right-wing cross.
An equally good opportunity fell to David Connolly, when Stephen Hughes played him through in the 23rd minute, but his attempt to chip Brian Jensen ended up in the goalkeeper's hands.
Jensen saved from Williams at the start of the second half and Graham Branch was only a whisker away from opening the scoring at the other end, after being played through by Jean-Louis Valois.
Burnley went even closer in the 71st minute when John Oster beat Walker with a curling cross from the left but the ball rebounded to safety off the inside of a post.
Burnley (4-4-2): Jensen; Duff, Cahill, McGreal, Sinclair; Oster, Hyde, Whittingham, Branch; Valois, Moore.
Subs: Coyne (g), Pilkington, Scott, Hanley, Yates.
Booked: Sinclair, Whittingham.
Leicester City (3-5-2): Walker; Kenton, Dabizas, McCarthy; Maybury, Hughes, Gemmill, Williams, Stewart (Gillespie h-t); Wright (De Vries 62), Connolly (Nalis 77).
Subs: Stearman, Hirschfeld (g).
Booked: Connolly, Gillespie.
Referee: A Kaye (West Yorkshire).
Leicester warmed up for their FA Cup quarter-final date with Blackburn with an uninspiring goalless draw at Burnley which will have done little to worry the Premiership club.
The Foxes, who won at Charlton in the last round, return to Lancashire for their game against the Clarets' conquerors at Ewood Park on Sunday, but they would be wrong to divert too much attention to the cup.
This was their sixth straight league game without a win and they remain just five points above the Championship drop zone.
They did play the better football at Turf Moor but Burnley had the better chances, with Jon Oster hitting the post midway through the second half.
In truth, a stalemate was no real surprise, as the Foxes failed to score for a third successive match against a team who have managed just one goal in the same amount of time, although the opening exchanges had led spectators to believe a different outcome could be on the cards.
Burnley striker Ian Moore had a chance to break the deadlock inside the first minute but could not control an insightful Jean-Louis Valois pass which would have put him clean through on goal.
Craig Levein made five changes to his under-achieving Foxes side following their 1-0 derby defeat by Nottingham Forest.
And they also registered a couple of early chances with home goalkeeper Brian Jensen tipping away Stephen Hughes' long-range effort and an unmarked Patrick McCarthy, making his debut following a £100,000 move from Manchester City, heading wide from the subsequent corner.
In reply, City goalkeeper Ian Walker had to be alert to rush out to Graham Branch's through-ball, before Nikos Dabizas crucially got his head to Frank Sinclair's far post cross, thwarting Moore on each occasion.
Neither side needed an invitation to get forward and Jensen did well to hold a lob from David Connolly, hit on the bounce from Hughes' pass.
After a promising opening, the game became scrappier, although Tommy Wright did well on the break and Connolly just failed to make contact with the youngster's cross, which rolled across the Clarets' six-yard line.
Moore began the second half as he did the first and narrowly headed over from Michael Duff's cross before the little striker turned provider and laid on a golden chance for Branch, who clipped wide from six yards out.
At the other end Jensen beat away Gareth Williams' top-corner-bound drive but the quality of the play was steadily sinking and Levein decided to try the direct approach with the introduction of substitute Mark de Vries just after the hour.
The home side continued to threaten on the break but, after a superb 50-yard cross-field ball by Valois picked him out, Branch failed to get a shot away under pressure from Darren Kenton.
In the 69th minute, Burnley thrust forward again, with Moore crowded out after he had flicked the ball past Walker and Oster agonisingly hitting the far post with a neat chip.
It was the Foxes' turn to play on the counter-attack and Williams shot straight at Jensen after Hughes and Connolly had sent him clear in the area before Branch contrived to head over from close range in injury-time.
Teams:
Burnley Jensen, Duff, McGreal, Cahill, Sinclair, Oster, Hyde, Whittingham, Branch, Valois, Moore.
Subs Not Used: Coyne, Pilkington, Scott, Hanley, Yates.
Booked: Sinclair, Whittingham.
Leicester Walker, Kenton, Dabizas, McCarthy, Stewart (Gillespie 45), Gemmill, Williams, Hughes, Wright (de Vries 63), Maybury, Connolly (Nalis 76).
Subs Not Used: Stearman, Hirschfeld.
Booked: Connolly, Gillespie.
Att: 10,933
Ref: A Kaye (W Yorkshire).