This is Staffordshire --
MICKY Adams might have been fearing the worst as he pondered Port Vale's penultimate warm-up clash against one of his old clubs.
Having seen his team concede five times against Derby County last week, the prospect of tackling more Championship opposition without a string of injury-hit defenders must have been enough to leave him in a cold sweat.
Yet the Vale boss will have seen some signs of encouragement as his makeshift team made Leicester City work hard for their narrow victory.
Though the Valiants toiled without much apparent purpose during a first half in which they fell behind, Adams' men rallied after the break after switching to a 3-5-2 system that seemed to suit them well.
They created two great chances to have levelled matters at least, but substitutes Lee Hughes and Chris Birchall both failed to find the net.
Adams sprang something of a surprise by including a new trialist as he moved to shore up a back four decimated by the loss of Richard Duffy, Dan Jones, Adam Yates and Joe Davis.
Former Leeds man Ben Parker slotted in at left-back with midfielder Anthony Griffith dropping into the right-back role he has filled several times before.
Parker's fellow trialist Matt Doumbe partnered Chris Robertson in the centre of a defence which therefore had a distinctly new look about it.
Liam Chilvers had recovered from a back injury to figure on the bench, but there was no place for Paul Reid, the centre-half who was on trial at Kidderminster on Friday, but who has since left the club.
Leicester boss Nigel Pearson fielded a strong side full of first-team squad members and including former Stoke players Ritchie De Laet and Ben Marshall.
And it was the Foxes who went close early on with De Laet's cross headed only just wide by striker Martin Waghorn.
Vale were being quick to deny space to their more illustrious opponents, but the home side fell behind after 13 minutes.
Wes Morgan won two big tackles in midfield to hand Andy King the chance to thread an inch-perfect pass through to Waghorn.
Goalkeeper Chris Neal got a hand to the striker's shot, but couldn't keep it out.
Tom Pope's persistence on the right ended with a cross that gave Kaid Mohamed an opportunity to level matters straight away, but the winger was denied by a decent header from Sean St Ledger.
Chris Lines seized on a loose pass from Morgan, but didn't truly get hold of his shot from the edge of the 18-yard box and Gavin Tomlin was just wide with a cross-shot, only to be pulled up for offside anyway.
Leicester looked slick in possession, but the Valiants were holding their own with Doumbe and Robertson impressive at the back and Louis Dodds prominent in central midfield.
Adams was out of his dug-out on the half-hour, screaming for more from his players, but there was little in the way of goalmouth action until Marshall burst on to a ball from the Leicester midfield only to lift his 42nd-minute shot just wide of the far post.
Vale made seven substitutions at half-time as Adams switched to a 3-5-2 system with Birchall, back from international duty, in a right wing-back role and Griffith moving into the middle of the park.
And the home side were immediately looking more purposeful, prompted initially by the lively Chris Shuker.
But Leicester were inches from doubling their lead after 50 minutes when a nice move down the left freed striker Jamie Vardy, whose shot from an angle clipped Neal's left-hand post.
The keeper then made a decent save low to his left to keep out a thumping volley from Waghorn as the visitors turned up the heat once more.
But Hughes wasn't far away at the other end when he dragged his effort just wide after Shuker's flick created what was Vale's first clear chance of the match.
The home side went even closer just after the hour mark after breaking in numbers from defence. Shuker had the awareness to slide in the on-rushing Birchall, but the midfielder couldn't find the finish as he dinked his shot past Kasper Schmeichel's post.
Dougie Price replaced the tiring Doumbe with 20 minutes to go, but Leicester were close again when De Laet ran on to a pass down the right before arrowing in a full-blooded effort that was well kept out by the flying Neal.
Hughes was left writhing in agony after a foul midway inside the Leicester half and was still feeling the effects a few minutes later, but there was no doubt Vale had picked things up dramatically after the break even if the Foxes managed to hold them at bay.
MATCH SUMMARY
PORT VALE 0
LEICESTER CITY 1
(Waghorn, 13)
Port Vale: Neal (Johnson, 46), Griffith (Jefford, 86), Robertson, Doumbe (Price, 69), Parker (O'Neill, 74), Myrie-Williams (Shuker, 46), Lines (Chilvers, 46), Dodds (Birchall, 46), Mohamed (Lloyd, 46), Tomlin (Hughes, 46), Pope (Williamson, 46). Not used: Alexander, Morris.
Leicester City: Schmeichel, St Ledger, Morgan, Whitbread, Konchesky, De Laet, Danns, King, Marshall, Vardy, Waghorn. Subs not used: Futacs, Smith, Anton, Blyth, Cain, Dodoo.
Referee: Steve Rushton (Staffs).
Attendance: 1,894. Reported by This is 15 hours ago.
MICKY Adams might have been fearing the worst as he pondered Port Vale's penultimate warm-up clash against one of his old clubs.
Having seen his team concede five times against Derby County last week, the prospect of tackling more Championship opposition without a string of injury-hit defenders must have been enough to leave him in a cold sweat.
Yet the Vale boss will have seen some signs of encouragement as his makeshift team made Leicester City work hard for their narrow victory.
Though the Valiants toiled without much apparent purpose during a first half in which they fell behind, Adams' men rallied after the break after switching to a 3-5-2 system that seemed to suit them well.
They created two great chances to have levelled matters at least, but substitutes Lee Hughes and Chris Birchall both failed to find the net.
Adams sprang something of a surprise by including a new trialist as he moved to shore up a back four decimated by the loss of Richard Duffy, Dan Jones, Adam Yates and Joe Davis.
Former Leeds man Ben Parker slotted in at left-back with midfielder Anthony Griffith dropping into the right-back role he has filled several times before.
Parker's fellow trialist Matt Doumbe partnered Chris Robertson in the centre of a defence which therefore had a distinctly new look about it.
Liam Chilvers had recovered from a back injury to figure on the bench, but there was no place for Paul Reid, the centre-half who was on trial at Kidderminster on Friday, but who has since left the club.
Leicester boss Nigel Pearson fielded a strong side full of first-team squad members and including former Stoke players Ritchie De Laet and Ben Marshall.
And it was the Foxes who went close early on with De Laet's cross headed only just wide by striker Martin Waghorn.
Vale were being quick to deny space to their more illustrious opponents, but the home side fell behind after 13 minutes.
Wes Morgan won two big tackles in midfield to hand Andy King the chance to thread an inch-perfect pass through to Waghorn.
Goalkeeper Chris Neal got a hand to the striker's shot, but couldn't keep it out.
Tom Pope's persistence on the right ended with a cross that gave Kaid Mohamed an opportunity to level matters straight away, but the winger was denied by a decent header from Sean St Ledger.
Chris Lines seized on a loose pass from Morgan, but didn't truly get hold of his shot from the edge of the 18-yard box and Gavin Tomlin was just wide with a cross-shot, only to be pulled up for offside anyway.
Leicester looked slick in possession, but the Valiants were holding their own with Doumbe and Robertson impressive at the back and Louis Dodds prominent in central midfield.
Adams was out of his dug-out on the half-hour, screaming for more from his players, but there was little in the way of goalmouth action until Marshall burst on to a ball from the Leicester midfield only to lift his 42nd-minute shot just wide of the far post.
Vale made seven substitutions at half-time as Adams switched to a 3-5-2 system with Birchall, back from international duty, in a right wing-back role and Griffith moving into the middle of the park.
And the home side were immediately looking more purposeful, prompted initially by the lively Chris Shuker.
But Leicester were inches from doubling their lead after 50 minutes when a nice move down the left freed striker Jamie Vardy, whose shot from an angle clipped Neal's left-hand post.
The keeper then made a decent save low to his left to keep out a thumping volley from Waghorn as the visitors turned up the heat once more.
But Hughes wasn't far away at the other end when he dragged his effort just wide after Shuker's flick created what was Vale's first clear chance of the match.
The home side went even closer just after the hour mark after breaking in numbers from defence. Shuker had the awareness to slide in the on-rushing Birchall, but the midfielder couldn't find the finish as he dinked his shot past Kasper Schmeichel's post.
Dougie Price replaced the tiring Doumbe with 20 minutes to go, but Leicester were close again when De Laet ran on to a pass down the right before arrowing in a full-blooded effort that was well kept out by the flying Neal.
Hughes was left writhing in agony after a foul midway inside the Leicester half and was still feeling the effects a few minutes later, but there was no doubt Vale had picked things up dramatically after the break even if the Foxes managed to hold them at bay.
MATCH SUMMARY
PORT VALE 0
LEICESTER CITY 1
(Waghorn, 13)
Port Vale: Neal (Johnson, 46), Griffith (Jefford, 86), Robertson, Doumbe (Price, 69), Parker (O'Neill, 74), Myrie-Williams (Shuker, 46), Lines (Chilvers, 46), Dodds (Birchall, 46), Mohamed (Lloyd, 46), Tomlin (Hughes, 46), Pope (Williamson, 46). Not used: Alexander, Morris.
Leicester City: Schmeichel, St Ledger, Morgan, Whitbread, Konchesky, De Laet, Danns, King, Marshall, Vardy, Waghorn. Subs not used: Futacs, Smith, Anton, Blyth, Cain, Dodoo.
Referee: Steve Rushton (Staffs).
Attendance: 1,894. Reported by This is 15 hours ago.