Ayling header snatches point for Boro at Leicester

Middlesbrough have only lost twice in the league this season

Captain Luke Ayling headed an equaliser in the sixth minute of added time as 10-man Middlesbrough snatched a point at Leicester City in the Championship.

Ayling's first goal for Boro from Callum Brittain's deep cross arrived when it looked like Rob Edwards' team would slip to consecutive league losses, and came minutes after defender Alfie Jones was sent off for a professional foul.

However, despite the draw, they slip out of the top two, now one point behind second-placed Stoke City.

It was a bitter pill for the Foxes and head coach Marti Cifuentes, who were on course for a much-needed first win in five games thanks to Jordan Ayew's penalty deep in first-half stoppage time.

It did end a run of three straight losses, but it is now just one win in 10 games as Leicester remain in the bottom half.

After a poor performance in losing at home to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, Cifuentes made four changes to the starting XI in his search for a winning formula.

And they should have gone in front when Luke Thomas whipped over a devilish free-kick to which Caleb Okoli got free, but he could not make firm contact from five yards out with the goal gaping.

Leicester were given a lift on the stroke of half-time by a needless handball from Boro midfielder Hayden Hackney with Ayew stroking home the resulting spot-kick.

The Foxes seemed content to try and hang on for three points after the break, but just like against Wrexham and Portsmouth in other recent home games, they were ultimately pegged back.

Boro have set the pace in the early months of the Championship season, but they had endured an unsettling few days.

They were easily dispatched by Watford on Saturday and then Edwards had to quash rumours linking him with the vacant head coach role at Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Despite their lofty position, they have been short of goals with four players sharing the top-scoring honours on two each.

Their best chance in the first half fell to Slovakia forward David Strelec – without a goal in seven games - from close range but he could not lift the ball over Jakub Stolarczyk after the goalkeeper had fumbled Matt Targett's right-footed effort.

Stolarczyk did not reappear for the second half, having received treatment earlier in the first period and on in his place came Asmir Begovic for his first Foxes appearance. Now 38, it was his first game since playing for QPR in April 2024 and a 10th English league club.

The Bosnia international looked to have earned his side the three points when he denied Tommy Conway in a one-on-one, but there was nothing he could do about Ayling's header.

And the 34-year-old celebrated wildly with the travelling supporters after claiming his first goal since August 2023.

Jordan Ayew's penalty was his first goal in eight Leicester games

'A very cruel end' - Leicester reaction

Leicester City head coach Marti Cifuentes told BBC Radio Leicester:

"I'm very frustrated. It's a very cruel end, especially in a game where the guys showed a great attitude, great commitment, great work ethic. It's a tough one to take.

"We were very close to the three points. We were playing against a team that is in a good dynamic and is doing well at the start of the season and there are definitely things we need to improve. But in terms of energy and how the attitude was from the players, it was top.

"It's important to have this foundation in this league and if we can add the things that we can add, we can just get better."

'It should have been a win' - Boro reaction

Middlesbrough head coach Rob Edwards told BBC Radio Tees:

"It feels like a win because of how it happened, but it should have been a win. The performance justified a win.

"We talked about trying to quieten the crowd and take control of the game and we did that first half. We were the better team but the goal gave them a lift and something to hang onto.

"Then the response was amazing. We kept fighting right to the end. We kept trying to get the ball into dangerous ahead and kept asking questions and 'Bill' (Luke Ayling) came up with an amazing header, so a great feeling."