‘I’m pleased to score again for Leicester’

 

Kelechi Iheanacho was effusive moments after helping Leicester City to overcome the Fleetwood challenge in an FA Cup third-round replay on Tuesday night.

The Nigerian became the first player to score a goal awarded by a video assistant referee in English football as Leicester triumphed in the replay.

Iheanacho opened the scoring – with a routine strike – from Islam Slimani’s pass in the 43rd minute.

The big talking point of the game came when the former Manchester City striker initially had a goal disallowed for offside from Riyad Mahrez’s through ball.

But referee Jonathan Moss liaised with video official Mike Jones, who told him Nathan Pond’s trailing foot was keeping Iheanacho onside, and the goal was awarded 67 seconds after it hit the back of the net.

The former Manchester City player later took to his Twitter account to show his happiness at the victory.

“Congratulations to the team for a great performance and a very well deserved win tonight. Very pleased to get back on the goals. #GodIsTheKindest!!,” Iheanacho tweeted on his handle, @67Kelechi.

The victory earned Leicester a tie at Peterborough in the next round.

Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, who missed the 0-0 draw in the initial tie, came on late on to face his former club, who are mid-table in League One.

This is the third time the video assistant referee (VAR) has been used as a trial in English football, all this month, after Brighton v Crystal Palace in the FA Cup and Chelsea v Arsenal in the Carabao Cup.

The video referee was consulted in both those games, but never used to reverse a decision.

So 16 January 2018 and the first VAR decision becomes a landmark date for English football, like the first substitute to come on or the first game to be played under floodlights.

Moss had briefly spoken to the video official when Iheanacho had an earlier goal ruled out because the ball had crossed the byeline before Demarai Gray crossed it.