PAUL KONCHESKY’S FIRST Premier League goal since 2009 handed Leicester City a vital 1-0 win over Aston Villa that ended with Ciaran Clark and Matty James both receiving red cards.
Konchesky, the former Liverpool full-back, was on hand to drive home a half-volley on the stroke of half-time to end a wait of over five years since his last top-flight strike and make it three league games unbeaten for Leicester.
James saw red late on for a dangerous challenge on Jores Okore, an incident that also saw Irish international Clark shown a second yellow for confronting the 23-year old.
Villa again struggled in front of goal, drawing a blank for the 12th time this season to leave Paul Lambert’s side in danger of being dragged into a relegation battle.
Meanwhile, Leicester – who remain bottom - have not tasted defeat in four games in all competitions, their best run of form so far this season.
Elsewhere, Burnley moved out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 victory over QPR at Turf Moor.
In a match between two candidates for relegation, it was Sean Dyche’s men who took all three points, as QPR remain pointless on their travels in the Premier League this term.
Scott Arfield struck the first blow with a fine solo goal, only for former Burnley striker Charlie Austin – who scored and was sent off in QPR’s 2-0 win in the reverse fixture in December – to level from the penalty spot.
Burnley led at the break, though, thanks to a calm finish from Danny Ings and that proved enough.
Saido Berahino scored the only goal of the game as West Brom beat Hull City 1-0 in Tony Pulis’ first Premier League game in charge at The Hawthorns.
The future of in-form striker Berahino has been the subject of much speculation and Albion’s leading scorer capped another lively display by firing home a deflected free-kick from inside the penalty area 13 minutes from time after Allan McGregor had picked up Ahmed Elmohamady’s back-pass.
Berahino, who has been linked with the likes of Tottenham and Liverpool, scored four times in a 7-0 rout of Gateshead in the FA Cup third round last weekend and he was the stand-out player once again at The Hawthorns on Saturday.
Pulis has now won both games since replacing Alan Irvine at the helm, but Albion were anything but convincing in what was only their third home victory of the season in the top flight.
Victory for the Midlands club moved them above Hull into 14th in the table and was only their second Premier League success in their last 11 games.
Bafetimbi Gomis stepped up to the mark for Swansea City as they earned a 1-1 draw with West Ham.
The French striker has been challenged to grasp his first-team chance in the absence of Wilfried Bony, who has departed for the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast while rumours of an imminent transfer to Manchester City persist.
And, after Andy Carroll had opened the scoring with a superb left-footed strike two minutes before half-time, Gomis was instrumental in Swansea’s equaliser. Gomis rose highest from a Gylfi Sigurdsson corner to head across goal in the 74th minute, with Mark Noble inadvertently touching the ball into his own net.
The former Lyon man Gomis produced a French flag as he celebrated his leveller in an apparent tribute to the victims of the recent terror attacks in his homeland.
The result sees Swansea and West Ham remain ninth and seventh respectively in the Premier League.
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