02/02/2002  Leicester 2 Chelsea 3
 
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink baled below par Chelsea out with an 
injury-time winner to plunge Leicester deeper into Barclaycard 
Premiership relegation trouble.

The Dutchman seized onto a pass from Mikael Forssell to 
drill a low drive past City goalkeeper Ian Walker to clinch an 
undeserved victory for his side.

It was rough justice on Dave Bassett's side who had 
produced some of their best football of the season to twice 
taking the lead.

But any side with Hasselbaink in their ranks is always 
capable of pulling something out of the fire - and so it 
proved.

Leicester's two-goal striker James Scowcroft had been 
dogged by injuries during the early part of the campaign after 
his £3million move from Ipswich but he is now starting to show 
the benefit of a consistent run of games.

He was a constant threat in the air to a 
far-from-secure-looking Chelsea defence but they were also 
rattled by the pace of Matthew Piper.

Bassett had loaned Piper - the brother of Warwickshire 
wicketkeeper Keith Piper - out to Mansfield and only recalled 
him because of an injury crisis.

But he caused all sorts of problems for Marcel Desailly and 
Mario Melchiot and looks on this evidence to be an outstanding 
prospect.

Chelsea had produced another of those baffling performances 
against lower placed sides when they failed to sparkle and 
manager Claudio Ranieri should be indebted to Hasselbaink for 
his late, late show.

Leicester, without a league win for two months, were soon 
into their stride and had claims for a penalty turned down 
after a challenge by Desailly on former Chelsea player Muzzy 
Izzet.

Scowcroft was only just the top with a shot at the far post 
after John Terry failed to clear a cross from Piper.

Chelsea struggled to make much impression going forward 
but, given their dismal scoring record, it was still like a 
bolt out of the blue when Leicester went ahead after 24 
minutes.

Stefan Oakes sent over an outswinging corner and Scowcroft 
timed his jump perfectly to send a downward header past the 
dive of Carlo Cudicini into the corner of the net for his 
fifth goal of the campaign.

Chelsea manager Ranieri decided action had to be taken and 
he reverted from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2 around the half-hour mark.

The Londoners threatened for the first time when Ian Walker 
held onto a half volley from Eidur Gudjohnsen after 
Hasselbaink had headed the ball into his path.

But that was the total sum of their first-half menace and 
it was the Foxes who threatened to add to their lead.

City had another penalty shout against Desailly denied 
after he had difficulty containing Piper.

Then Scowcroft again caused problems in the air with a 
header which flew just wide from another Oakes free-kick.

Chelsea's frustrations began to boil over and both Mario 
Stanic and Emmanuel Petit were yellow carded for dissent 
shortly before the interval.

Ranieri sent on Gianfranco Zola and Forssell in place of 
Gudjohnsen and Stanic for the second half.

But it needed a superb reflex save from Cudicini to prevent 
City from doubling their lead.

Oakes' free-kick was not fully cleared and the ball fell to 
Elliott whose half volley seemed destined for the roof of the 
net until Cudicini tipped acrobatically over the crossbar.

This was to prove crucial for after 62 minutes the visitors 
got back on level terms Hasselbaink's 21st goal of the 
season.

Le Saux sent over a left-wing cross which was flicked on by 
Forssel - and Hasselbaink did the rest with a close-range 
header.

Back came Leicester and Scowcroft put them back in front 
when he headed in a corner from Oakes and for a time a first 
home victory since November seemed possible.

But Zola marked his 250th appearance for Chelsea by curling 
home a free-kick for the equaliser with 12 minutes left and 
then Hasselbaink broke Leicester's hearts in the last 
minute.