Richardson revels in Leicester's pain

Leicester wasted the chance to move within striking range of the First Division leaders, Portsmouth, when they failed to overcome struggling Midlands rivals Stoke.

The match lacked goals but the referee found plenty with which to fill his notebook, sending off the centre-backs Peter Handyside of Stoke and Gerry Taggart of Leicester within six minutes of each other and booking four more in the second half.

Inconclusive it may have been, but the game suggested Stoke's chances of avoiding the drop are greater than Leicester's of hanging on to an automatic promotion spot.

Despite their precarious position in the relegation zone it was Stoke – coming into this match with three straight victories, – who dominated the first half. The main difference between the sides was the 20-year-old midfielder Frazer Richardson, making his debut on a month's loan from Leeds. Though not the highest-profile player shipped out of Elland Road this week, he made an immediate impact. He was always available on the right, willing to take on defenders with the ball at his feet, and turned defence into attack with raking cross-field passes.

"Richardson played really well especially in the first half,'' said the Stoke manager, Tony Pulis. "He is an outstanding prospect but Leeds have Mills and Kelly on the right side and his progress there is blocked at the moment.'' With Brynjar Gunnarsson and James O'Connor controlling the midfield, Stoke laid siege to the left of goal, but their poor start to the season has left them short of confidence, and they chose to shoot from distance rather than hang on to the ball and wait for clear-cut chances.

O'Connor, Gunnarsson and Sergei Shtaniuk all shot straight at Ian Walker, and inevitably it was Richardson who went closest, forcing the Leicester goalkeeper to tip his 25-yard rising drive over the crossbar. As Stoke turned on the style, the best move of the match ended with Peter Hoekstra picking out Gunnarsson as before, who brought another good save out of Walker.

Despite pushing Jordan Stewart up alongside Brian Deane and Paul Dickov, Leicester failed to create a decent chance in the first period. But Stewart was injured and was replaced at half-time by Taggart, which allowed Andrew Impey to press forward on the left, finally putting the Foxes in the hunt.

Deane headed over the bar from Impey's cross and Dickov drove across the face of goal after a slick move between Frank Sinclair and Impey. Handyside was booked for dissent after Impey was brought down on the edge of the penalty area, and although Nicky Summerbee blasted the kick into the defensive wall, Stoke paid the price when Handyside was booked again for bringing down Dickov, and was sent off.

But before Leicester could exploit the luxury of their extra man, the numbers were even again. Taggart, himself booked earlier for a clumsy challenge, squared up to the Stoke striker Chris Iwelumo. Both were booked but Taggart, who had been on the pitch less than 30 minutes, was sent off.

"He should know better at his age,'' said the Leicester assistant manager, Alan Cork. "We were disappointing, but it is another point and another game less to play.''