Stoke City's Peter Crouch earns share of spoils against Leicester

Courtesy: Reuters

London: Former England striker Peter Crouch came off the bench to rescue a point for Stoke City in a 2-2 draw on Saturday, denying new Leicester manager Claude Puel a second consecutive win of his young managerial reign.

The 2015-16 Premier League champions parted company with Craig Shakespeare last month after slipping into the relegation zone but have recovered strongly under caretaker boss Michael Appleton and ex-Southampton boss Puel.

Against Stoke they looked dangerous and pacy on the break with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez a threat and winger Demarai Gray earning another start just days after signing a new deal at the club.

Puel's side took the lead just after the half-hour mark when Vicente Iborra lashed home a half-volley after the ball fell at his feet following a corner and had clear chances to pull further ahead.

First, Jack Butland saved superbly from Shinji Okazaki, in for the injured Ben Chilwell, and Iborra headed over from another corner.

But Leicester were made to rue their profligacy six minutes after Leicester`s opener when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting played an incisive defensive-splitting ball first time into the feet of Xherdan Shaqiri, whose left-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area found the net via the inside of the post.

Riyad Mahrez put Leicester back in front with half an hour to go moments after Kasper Schmeichel pulled off an impressive save from Ryan Shawcross.

But Leicester were pegged back again when Crouch, brought on just minutes earlier, headed in a Shaqiri corner in the 73rd minute.