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Waghorn's goal sees Leicester City beat Port Vale
Leicester City continued their pre-season preparations with a victory over Port Vale at Vale Park last night.
Martyn Waghorn scored the only goal of the game after 15 minutes as City produced a decent display against former manager Micky Adams' side.
City manager Nigel Pearson did not make a single substitution as he made his players prepare for the big kick-off to the season in less than two weeks with a full 90 minutes.
Pearson named a strong line-up and City again adopted the 5-3-2 three centre-back system with wing-backs, which they employed at Leamington in their first outing of the summer.
Ritchie De Laet and Paul Konchesky provided the width either side of Sean St Ledger, Wes Morgan and Zak Whitbread.
Neil Danns, Andy King and Ben Marshall were in the midfield engine room, while Jamie Vardy and Martyn Waghorn were twinned as City's strike force.
City dominated the first period against their League One opponents, who failed to really threaten City's rear-guard.
The wing-back role seems to really suit De Laet's natural attacking tendency, and he provided the cross in the second minute which Waghorn headed wide.
But Waghorn has started pre-season well and scored his second goal in as many friendlies when he collected King's slide-rule pass in the 15th minute and slipped the ball past keeper Chris Neal with the outside of his foot. It was a clever finish from a player with plenty to prove this season.
Chris Lines briefly threatened with a low strike, which Kasper Schmeichel had to get down to save, but City were going through the gears and Ben Marshall should have doubled their advantage.
King was again the provider with a telling pass to put the former Stoke City man through one-on-one with Neal but, although he beat the advancing keeper, his effort drifted wide of the far post.
Danns, another at the crossroads of his City career, had Neal beaten with a dipping strike from 25-yards out on the stroke of half-time, but his shot also beat the bar by inches.
City almost added a second seven minutes after the break when they broke quickly from defending a corner and Waghorn picked out Vardy's run. He raced into the box and clipped the ball over Neal, but his effort came back off the foot of the post.
City were hit on the break themselves and Chris Birchall wasted a great chance to equalise for the hosts in the 63rd minute when he was sent clear by Chris Sucker, but he placed his finish wide of the post.
But City were still the more dangerous side and Marshall was growing more influential. He played in De Laet on 72 minutes and Neal had to produce a good save to deny the wing-back.
The final minutes of the game were played out quietly, although King had a decent chance from close range he could not take and Vardy flashed a half-volley wide. But this was a decent display from City in only their second run-out of the pre-season.
The rest of the City squad will be in action tonight when City travel to take on York at Bootham Crescent, before they entertain big-spending AS Monaco at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
City team: Kasper Schmeichel, Ritchie De Laet, Sean St Ledger, Wes Morgan, Zak Whitbread, Paul Konchesky; Ben Marshall, Andy King, Neil Danns; Jamie Vardy, Martin Waghorn.
Subs: Marko Futacs, Adam Smith, Jamie Anton, Jacob Blyth, Michael Cain, Joe Dodoo.
Referee: Steve Rushton.
Attendance: 1,894.
Transfer news: New signing admits shock at Leicester City deal
New Leicester City signing Zoumana Bakayogo has admitted that when he heard of Leicester City's interest in him he thought it was a joke.
The 26-year-old Ivory Coast defender said he never imagined a club of the stature of City would be in for him after leaving League One side Tranmere in the summer.
Bakayogo said once he knew it was for real, he did not hesitate to join Nigel Pearson's men, signing on a two-year deal.
"I didn't believe it at first when I heard of Leicester's interest," he said. "I thought it was a joke.
"But my agent kept telling me Leicester were in for me. I was quite happy and surprised at the same time."
Bakayogo, who started his career at Paris St Germain and spent two seasons at Millwall, has never played at as high a level as the Championship before, but he said he was determined to succeed.
"I am really hungry for this," he said.
"It is a great chance for me to step up a level and see how far I can go, and even higher if we can.
"I haven't had this chance before so I am determined to take it.
"It is about my career and it is great that a Championship club like Leicester came in for me. There were a few clubs interested, but I have chosen the best option for myself. I need a new challenge and this is a big
one. It is a big club and everyone should want to play at a club like Leicester, with the ambition to go up to the highest level. It is good to be in a squad that wants to go to the top.
"The manager spoke to me several times and he gave me confidence. He told me to relax and be myself. That will help me more, especially with my confidence."
Bakayogo, who is not expected to feature in this week's freindlies as he builds up his fitness, said he is relishing the prospect of challenging Paul Konchesky for City's left-back berth.
"I play left-back and left midfield, but I prefer left back," he said. "I know that Paul Konchesky is the left-back but I will compete with him, progress with him and learn from him.
"It will be good for me to take his experience and, hopefully, I will then progress.
"I am confident on the ball and good at defensive shape, but I need to progress in areas and I am here to work on that. I may learn new things.
"I know some of the lads and the rest I know from the television, and I know that there is a French lad as well in Anthony Knockaert.
"There are lots of good players here. We all want promotion and are working hard for it. It won't be easy."
Richie Wellens leaves Leicester City by mutual consent
Richie Wellens has left Leicester City by mutual consent after four years at the club.
The 33-year-old had a year left to run on his City contract but has reached an agreement to be released, and is now free to join another club.
The midfielder made 149 appearances for City, scoring four goals, after being signed by manager Nigel Pearson in July 2009 for an undisclosed fee from Doncaster Rovers.
However, Wellens made only two appearances last season as he battled back from a serious knee ligament injury, and had a spell on loan at Ipswich as he looked to reclaim his fitness.
But it was clear Wellens had fallen down the pecking order at City behind younger players such as Matty James, Andy King and Danny Drinkwater.
His name had been circulated to other clubs as available for transfer, and former City striker Paul Dickov had expressed an interest in taking Wellens back to Doncaster, but said they were unable to afford such a deal.
But now Wellens has become a free agent, several clubs are expected to want to sign him.
He came through the ranks at Manchester United before joining Blackpool in 2000, Oldham in 2005 and Doncaster in 2007.
After joining City in a deal reported to be worth more than £1million, Wellens became an ever-present.
He missed only three games as City reached the play-off semi-finals, only to lose to Cardiff in a penalty shoot-out.
In the 2010-11 season, Wellens was named as City's player of the year and was rewarded with a new contract.
The next campaign, which saw Pearson's return, Wellens again made 46 appearances, captaining the side 19 times, before injuring his knee against West Ham and undergoing surgery.
Wellens is the second player to leave the King Power Stadium this summer after Jermaine Beckford's departure to Bolton, as City continue to reshape the squad to comply with Financial Fair Play.