LEICESTER CITY WILL need a replay if they’re to see off League One side Fleetwood Town and book a place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The 2016 Premier League champions had to settle for a scoreless draw in this afternoon’s third-round tie at Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood’s home ground.
Currently in 12th place in the third tier of English football, Fleetwood were captained by 25-year-old central defender Cian Bolger, who hails from Celbridge in Kildare.
An under-strength Leicester, who were without the likes of Riyad Mahrez and former Fleetwood striker Jamie Vardy, will welcome Uwe Rosler’s side to the King Power Stadium for the replay on Tuesday, 16 January at 7.45pm.
Claude Puel’s men breathed a collective sigh of relief in the final minute of this afternoon’s game after a shot from Fleetwood’s Ashley Hunter struck the post.
Today’s result is likely to have been a memorable one for Cian Bolger, however. The former Celbridge Town defender, now in his second season at Fleetwood, began his cross-channel career at Leicester but was unable to make the first-team breakthrough with the Foxes.
He departed for Bristol Rovers in 2011, before going on to have spells with Bolton Wanderers, Colchester United, Southend United and Bury.
In the other FA Cup game already played today, Darren Randolph kept a clean sheet and Cyrus Christie came off the bench late on as Middlesbrough advanced to the fourth round with a 2-0 win at home to north-east rivals Sunderland, for whom John O’Shea started in defence.
