Leicester 2-2 Brighton: Vardy and Bobby De Cordova-Reid hit late goals to overcome the deficit.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid scored a late equaliser (Joe Giddens/PA)
Bobby De Cordova-Reid scored a late equaliser (Joe Giddens/PA) (PA Wire)
Leicester produced a grandstand finish to rescue a point in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Brighton and continue their promising start under Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The Dutchman’s honeymoon period at the King Power Stadium looked like lasting one game as the Seagulls cruised into a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Tariq Lamptey and Yankuba Minteh.
But Jamie Vardy gave them hope in 86th minute and then Bobby De Cordova-Reid struck four minutes later to earn a point and keep the feelgood factor alive.
The draw means the Van Nistelrooy is still yet to taste defeat as a manager in English football following his four-game spell as interim boss at Manchester United and his maiden win at Leicester against West Ham on Tuesday.
They remain in trouble at the wrong end of the table, but are moving in the right direction.
The result will feel as bad as a defeat for Brighton, who were in total control and missed the chance to move up to fifth in the table.
The Seagulls may have had 48 hours less recovery time than Leicester, but they were on the front foot from the start.
Lewis Dunk put a good headed chance wide at the far post before Yasin Ayari forced Mads Hermansen into a stretching save from a curling effort after a quick counter attack.
Hermansen, who put in a man-of-the-match performance in Tuesday’s win over West Ham, had to be at his best to keep out Pervis Estupinan’s fierce drive, producing a flying save to turn around the post.
Kaoru Mitoma then wasted another chance as he blazed over at the far post after Evan Ferguson teed him up.
Leicester could not hold out any longer and the visitors took a deserved lead in the 37th minute.
An overhit cross found its way to Lamptey at the far post where he cut inside and curled a delicious left-footed effort into the top corner.
Leicester had carried little threat but came to life at the back end of the first half, with Bart Verbruggen forced into his first save as he had to claw away James Justin’s powerful header.
The hosts improved after the break but continued to find it difficult to create anything.
They huffed and puffed in search of a leveller, but looked to have been killed off in the 79th minute.
Mats Wieffer’s long ball set Minteh clear and after wriggling free from Victor Kristiansen he fired in to the bottom corner.
Leicester looked cooked, but Vardy reduced the deficit with four minutes of normal time left when he converted De Cordova-Reid’s deflected cross with a clinical first-time finish.
Roles were reversed in the 90th minute when Brighton defender Igor Julio was robbed on the edge of the area, Vardy teed up his team-mate to slot home from close range.
Both sides tried to win it in added time, but it was Leicester who were celebrating at the end.