Carabao Cup: Leicester City 3-0 Newport County: Jamie Vardy double sees Foxes knock out Exiles
- Published
- comments
James Justin's goal was his first for Leicester City since a 2-0 win at Fulham in February 2021
Jamie Vardy scored twice as Leicester's revival continued with a comfortable 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Newport County.
League Two Newport's resistance was broken on 44 minutes when James Justin bent home a beautiful 20-yard effort, before the defender was taken off on a stretcher in the second half.
The visitors improved further after the break but could not contain Vardy.
The striker made the result safe with two fine finishes to ensure Leicester moved into the last 16 of the EFL Cup.
The Foxes' recent resurgence continued, having now won four of their last five games.
Boss Brendan Rodgers had said he would resist wholesale changes to his side after they laboured to a penalty shootout win over Stockport in round two, but only Justin, Wout Faes, Boubakary Soumare and Harvey Barnes were retained from their 2-0 win at Everton on Saturday.
Newport - no strangers to causing cup shocks in recent years and looking to reach the fourth round of the EFL Cup for the second season in succession - had a different manager in charge when they upset Portsmouth 3-2 in August to book their trip to the King Power Stadium.
The Exiles sacked James Rowberry last month and his successor Graham Coughlan came into this contest unbeaten since taking charge, with his side showing four changes from their 2-0 FA Cup win over Colchester United.
The resilience under Coughlan was evident in a first half where the Premier League side dominated but could not find a breakthrough until a minute before the interval.
The Foxes had come close through Barnes, whose effort was well saved by Nick Townsend, before Justin's brilliant finish broke the deadlock.
The full-back's injury blotted Leicester's night but they secured the result when Vardy's pinpoint header from Marc Albrighton's cross found the net on 70 minutes.
Vardy added his second 12 minutes later when he slammed home after rounding Townsend as Barnes' clever pass sent him clear.
Jamie Vardy had only scored once this season, before adding his second and third goals of the campaign against Newport
Leicester get revenge for FA Cup upset
Leicester knew better than anyone that Newport have shown rich cup pedigree in recent seasons, with no side in the lower divisions causing more cup shocks.
The Exiles reached the FA Cup third round in four successive seasons and impressed against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and almost caused stunned Mauricio Pochettino's Tottenham Hotspur.
However, Leeds United, Middlesbrough and most notably Leicester were all beaten by the Exiles, with Mike Flynn's team shocking the 2016 Premier League champions at a raucous Rodney Parade in 2019.
Indeed, that cup humbling in south east Wales arguably hastened the arrival of Rodgers at Leicester, as the club sacked boss Claude Puel the month after their defeat.
Newport had already seen off Championship Luton, as well as Portsmouth, but their large away following had little to sing about, with Adam Lewis heading their best chance straight at home goalkeeper Daniel Iversen.
Rodgers' position has looked rocky at times this season after Leicester made their worst-ever start to a Premier League campaign, but their good form has seen them up to 14th in the table and now safely through in the EFL Cup.