Foxes held by defiant Poppies

On the Ball: Michael had a solid 90 minutes

Leicester City failed to beat a makeshift Kettering Town side at Rockingham Road in a game that saw a number of fringe players make a success of their chance to shine against inferior opposition.

An impressive showing from Franck Moussa in the centre of the midfield was capped by his superbly placed headed goal after Martyn Waghorn's efforts on the wing paid-off. Michael Ball played a full ninety minutes that should earn him a contract, whilst Aleksandar Tunchev also played the whole game, apparently with no ill effects.

Of note was the debut performance of youngster Liam Moore, the eighteen year-old fulfilling a solid shift at right-back, accompanying a lively Lloyd Dyer on that wing.

Moussa's goal came as a first half equaliser after Kettering took a surprising lead after quarter of an hour. Jean-Paul Marna was set free and his superb effort left Chris Weale with no chance. That was to be a blip in a game very much dominated by Leicester.

That the Foxes did not thump the Poppies by a number of goals may have incurred some fears among fans but City controlled large parts of this game. Kettering's lead was a boost to their fans - almost outnumbered by a vast Leicester support - but further flashes of inspiration from the Poppies was not forthcoming until later in the game, as the Foxes appeared almost to lose interest in what became a flat second half.

Now, Leicester must look ahead to Saturday's glamour friendly against Real Madrid, the first of the 2011/12 season at the newly-named King Power Stadium. Sven Goran Eriksson will be unlikely to field any of the fourteen or so players featured tonight, but no doubt the likes of Steve Howard and Matt Oakley will have been keen to show they still have the potential to mix it with the youngsters bursting with energy to fill the substitutes' bench.