LEICESTER CITY BOOKED their place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 2012 thanks to a 1-0 win over Sheffield United on Friday.
Jamie Vardy scored the only goal of the game at the King Power Stadium, as his looping header over goalkeeper Jamal Blackman in the 66th minute settled a closely fought tie.
Riyad Mahrez provided the assist on his first start for the Premier League side since 20 January, with the winger’s deep cross setting up his unmarked team-mate at the back post.
Yet the hosts needed a moment of excellence from Kasper Schmiechel to deny Sheffield United an equaliser, the goalkeeper stretching low to his left to keep out a first-time effort from George Baldock that looked destined to find the corner of the goal.
Instead, Vardy’s clever finish proved enough to send Claude Puel’s team through to the last eight of the competition.
The England international had wasted a glorious chance to put the hosts ahead in the closing stages of the first half, shooting straight at the advancing Blackman, after being put through on goal by the ebullient Mahrez.
Blackman also kept out a long-range drive from Onyinye Ndidi, while at the other end a familiar face prevented the Championship side from going ahead before the break.
Harry Maguire — who came through the ranks at Bramall Lane before moving to Hull City in 2014 — produced a brilliant block to divert Enda Stevens’ goal-bound effort over the top of the net.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Let’s be honest, the head area of a player must be protected, we know this, we saw in the world cup what needs to be punished and so on. But if that tackle is a 4 week ban, then it’s making a farce of things. He tried to wrap, and bounced off his shoulder. He tried to hit lower, but bounced off the contact as he tried to wrap and honestly I can’t even see where he made contact with the head in the replays I saw. TMO looked and went on during the match itself. There’s needs to be some sense here and this makes a joke of things
@Andrew Taz Donohoe: correct Andrew. That’s the way I see it too. He dips, he attempts a wrap and I see a head predominantly on front upper shoulder. No intent and not reckless either. Heads clashing unfortunately are part and parcel of a contact sport.
Huge blow, 4 really important games he’s missing. Length of the ban seems a bit harsh, but that’s the way the sport is going I suppose.
@Peter McCarthy: Deliberate elbow to face 6 weeks. Legal tackle with poor head placement 4 weeks. Doesn’t seem right to me.
@SilexFlint: legal mauling with poor elbow placement?
@Jim Demps: The guy who eye gouged tom curry got 6 weeks too. Deliberate malicious acts that can do serious damage to only the recipient, versus another where the damage is accidental and can be reciprocal. Since Addison is made of glass i’m surprised he didn’t need to be carted off too!
Would probably help to have a clip of the Addison tackle for context. Link here: https://streamable.com/fpph8
Looking at World Rugby’s high-tackle framework that the decision seems to be based on, the rationale seems to be as follows: High Tackle (high contact by tackler’s…) > Shoulder or Head (degree of danger) > High > Red Card.
If it forces player’s to tackle with the correct shoulder and reduces head injuries then fair enough. However, you would like to see referees and citing commissioners being more consistent in applying the laws to make a meaningful change to how players tackle.
@EK: That link is very helpful. Onus is on the tackler and it seems that Addison got his positioning wrong and failed to complete the tackle safely. I would classify it as reckless and 4 weeks sounds about right.
@Paul Ennis: what? To me Addison came off worse… he hit his own head off the guys arm/shoulder.
Nahh this makes a mockery of the law.
Ban is fair enough to be honest, he was always going to be found guilty, might have saved himself a week if he accepted the charge. Once the citing commissioners and refs are consistent with it from here on in then there can’t be many complaints.
@Jim Demps:
Yes I agree, the rules are there for a reason and the players will have to adapt.
For me the tackle was poor technique and at great risk to Addison to suffer injury, given where he placed his own head.
Players will have to learn the hard way to lower the tackle
@Jim Demps: very harsh ban….U wouldn’t be saying the same if twas Mike Haley
@john williams: wait and see I suppose, I’d more than likely be saying exactly the same thing though.
@john williams: It is a black and white reckless tackle I’m afraid. It shouldn’t matter which province you support to see that.
I realise that there is loads of provincial bias in these comment sections, but I am pretty sure that Jim agreed with Bundee Aki’s ban during the world cup. That would not support your theory.
@Mark Smith: Don’t think the height has anything to do with it, that was fine, it was head placement that was the issue. The head injury report did mention that more concussions occur in the tackler rather than person tackled, so for me the ban is fair enough, to reduce head injuries the tackler has to not endanger themselves. However the application will raise questions, should a tackle that has poor head positioning only be punished when there is head to head contact? Or should all tackles with poor head placement be punished as it had the potentional to cause head injuries?
@Kingshu: well of course the former. As the commission said. It was a reckless tackle that made contact with the head. The tackle is only reckless when contact is made. You don’t send off players for punching air. Now if they punch a face it’s different
@PScald: so you sentence based on outcome rather than intent? That’s what’s wrong at present. Throwing a punch is throwing a punch whether it connects or not surely
@RabidHorizon: so you think every tackle attempt with poor head positioning should result in a yellow card or worse? mate, I don’t think you should be watching rugby.
Ridiculous ban,there was nothing reckless about the tackle…he went for a wrap and both heads clashed…it happens in rugby…soon ankle tapping will only be allowed!
Some of the bias on here defies belief. Head first into the players opposite players chin/cheek. Reckless, read up a little on the effects of concussion in later life folks, Rugby has to sort this, or else its gonna end up ruining the game. Tackle low will also have the positive impact on the offloading game although the next problem with the tackler concussion through contact with knees!
Looking at the tackle several times in slomo..I honestly don’t see any reckless play at all..just an attempted wrap and a clash of heads.
Very harsh decision…ridiculous
@Ronan Skelly: It is extraordinary how 2 people can look at the same clip and come to opposite points of view.
Will addison is responsible for his poor technique and head placement. This is a blight on our professional sport that I rarely see in amateur / youths rugby. Leading players like Will (and others such as Sexton, Farrell, Biggar) regularly set a bad example to kids and, incorrectly, portray a negative image to parents selecting a sport for their 6 year olds.
Bams like this are the only way to ensure long term improvement.
@Ronan Skelly: the rule has changed. Players must tackle lower or suffer the consequences. Harsh lesson for Addison but not as bad as the long term effects of repeated concussion.
Agreed no harm intended.
This was a 100% rugby incident , no malice from Addison , he wrapped his arms and his shoulder hit the opponent below shoulder level . If Addison had gone off with a head injury nothing else would have happened.
Harsh !
Positioning was a bit high but cpntact with his shoulder, length of ban is not proportionate
Hope the referee and the TMO also get punished. This was a red card offence.