Howard grabs four for rampant Foxes

Howard: Scored four in rampant performance

Steve Howard netted four times as Leicester City easily rolled-over Vasalunds IF in Solna to win the Stockholm Football Trophy and end their pre-season trip to Sweden on a high.

A more sedate pace to this game meant the Foxes were held to a 0-0 scoreline at the break, the Swedish outfit never troubling Chris Weale's goal however.

After the break the Foxes turned-up the heat, Richie Wellens winning a penalty that Howard despatched easily into the lower-right corner. Impressing once more was Yann Kermorgant, developing into a reliable ball-player in the centre of the park, whilst Jeffrey Schlupp enjoyed his second forty-five minutes in a midfield three more than as a full-back in the first half as he was able to break forward and unleash his striking pace.

Howard scored again after some neat play from Paul Konchesky and fired home from twenty yards. Leicester netted a third when the advancing Aleksandar Tunchev was pulled-back in the penalty area and Howard made no mistake in scoring to grab his hat-trick. Vasalunds beat Adam Smith, on for Weale in the second half, with a good strike on the break but that did not trouble the Foxes who managed a fourth - again from Howard - with the last kick of the match as Howard bundled the ball over the line.

Whilst Howard's goals will take the plaudits, this was, once more, a chance for the likes of Tunchev, Kermorgant and Schlupp to impress their talents upon manager Eriksson. And, despite the slower pace of this game compared to the brisk run-out against Real Mallorca, this was another impressive display from a more mixed-up Foxes eleven.

What Eriksson will now be looking forward to ahead of two tough tests to come in Austria - Leicester play 2010 Turkish Super Lig winners Bursaspor before a clash with Spanish giants Valencia on Saturday - is the chance to pick from what appears to be a deep pool of players. The Swede has competitive options in more or less every position and, with strong hints of two new signings before the week is out, the choice of who to pick in his first eleven is only going to become more difficult for the Leicester City manager.