MATCH REPORT: Leicester City 3-0 Newport County

County gave a good account of themselves on Tuesday night against Premier League Leicester, but a brace from Jamie Vardy and a James Justin effort earned a 3-0 win for the hosts.

After nearly making it to half time level-pegging, full-back Justin's beautiful curling effort found the far corner to give the Foxes a deserved lead.

Jamie Vardy put the game to bed with a second half brace that put County out of reach but it was a spirited perfomance against the 2016 Premier League winners.

Justin had the first effort on goal for the hosts, striking from the edge of the area on the half-volley only for it deflect off Ayoze Perez and out for a goal kick.

Harvey Barnes played a neat one-two with Luke Thomas with five minutes played before cutting inside and unleashing a fierce drive that was well blocked by Mickey Demetriou.

Birthday boy Adam Lewis prevented a certain goal just minutes later with some heroic defending. Barnes played a lovely ball through to Vardy, who squared for Perez, but the wing-back did brilliantly to intercept.

Perez then went for goal himself from the edge of the area, but after beating captain Matt Dolan and then James Waite, he skewed his left-footed shot high and wide.

Praet was linking up well with Vardy in attack, and after receiving the veteran striker’s knock down, spurned a decent chance by half-volleying wide just inside the box.

Praet teed it up to Wilfred Ndidi a minute later, once again, though, the midfielder saw his shot go wide.

After a quiet period in the game, it sprung to life with Barnes playing a neat one-two with Vardy, Nick Townsend was at full stretch to deny the winger.

The Exiles fans were in fine voice after a spell of County pressure which led to Demetriou crossing for Lewis Collins, he stuck a leg out but just flew past him as he steadied himself to strike.

It was Justin who gave the Foxes a deserved lead just before the half-time whistle to break County resistance, curling in with left foot from outside the area, seeing his shot clip the post as it went in.

We hit the woodwork early in the second half after Dolan’s superb set-piece found the head of Demetriou, however the linesman flagged for offside after the defender saw his header rebound off the post.

Adam Lewis had County’s best chance on 58 minutes when he met Cameron Norman’s dangerous delivery at the back post. Sadly for him, though, it was straight at Daniel Iversen.

Ndidi met a corner kick from substitute Kelechi Iheanacho just after the hour mark, but got too much on his header from on the six-yard line.

Vardy was put through one-on-one moments later by Iheanacho, but Townsend did well to get off his line quickly and block the striker’s stabbed effort away from goal.

Townsend got brought into action shortly after following a neat turn from Barnes, whose goal-bound shot that looked to be heading for the top corner was tipped away brilliantly by the County goalkeeper.

Vardy eventually scored his goal on 70 minutes, putting the game to bed with an instinctive header just inside the box from Marc Albrighton’s whipped cross.

Substitute Thierry Nevers got into a good position with just over ten minutes remaining, however with Chanka Zimba and Will Evans ready to pounce, the frontman's cut-back was behind those ready and waiting.

Vardy made it three in emphatic style not long after with a sublime finish, he received a through ball from Barnes and after dribbling past Townsend, he beat Priestley Farquharson before smashing the ball into an empty net.

We nearly got a consolation on 84 minutes following Demetriou's launched throw-in. The central defender rose highest deep inside the area, only to see his header sail narrowly wide.

Nevers looked danagerous after coming on, and after beating a couple of defenders saw his low, left-footed drive save well by Daniel Iversen.

Leicester City: Daniel Iversen, James Justin (Marc Albrighton '60), Wout Faes (Jannick Vestergaard '75), Jonny Evans (c), Luke Thomas, Wilfred Ndidi (Sam Braybrooke '73), Boubakary Soumare (Youri Tielemans '60), Dennis Praet, Ayoze Perez (Kelechi Iheanacho,'60), Harvey Barnes, Jamie Vardy.

 Subs not used: Alex Smithies, Daniel Amartey, Nampalys Mendy, Patson Daka.

Newport County: Nick Townsend,, Aaron Lewis, Cameron Norman, Priestley Farquharson, Mickey Demetriou, Adam Lewis (Harrison Bright '90), Matt Dolan (c), Nathan Moriah-Welsh (Sam Bowen '75), Lewis Collins (Will Evans '70), James Waite (Thierry Nevers '70), Omar Bogle (Chanka Zimba '70)

Subs not used: Joe Day, Scot Bennett, Hayden Lindley, Jack Karadogan.