FA Cup Leicester 4 - 0 Nottm Forest

Jermaine Beckford hit a hat-trick as Leicester comfortably defeated rivals Nottingham Forest to book an FA Cup fourth-round tie against Swindon.

George Boateng put the ball into his own net as Leicester took an early lead before Robbie Findley missed a sitter.

Beckford headed in off the crossbar after Lee Camp could only deflect a cross into his path and then struck after the break with a clipped finish.

The striker then scored from a rebound after his first effort was parried.

A run of one win in ten matches and just three goals, all of which came in that sole win against Ipswich, hardly provided an inspiring pre-match rallying call to the visiting side or their fans.

In keeping with that form, Forest gifted possession to their hosts and the Foxes were more composed and could have been 3-0 up inside ten minutes.

Boateng's own goal put the hosts ahead inside seven minutes, when he could only turn a teasing low cross by Lloyd Dyer into his own net.
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The only previous season in which Leicester and Nottingham Forest were paired in the FA Cup was 1900-01. Leicester, known as Leicester Fosse back then, were beaten 5-1 by Forest in a first round tie in February 1901.

Neil Danns also had a blistering goalbound 18-yard half-volley headed over the bar by stand-in centre half Guy Moussi, and Forest goalkeeper Camp did well to stop a David Nugent effort on the line after an almighty scramble.

Findley did miss the chance of the game, or indeed any game, somehow thundering the ball over the bar from two yards after Paul Anderson and Greg Cunningham combined well on the left.

Beckford made it 2-0, heading in via the underside of the bar after a lightning Leicester counter-attack involving Nugent and the overlapping Lee Peltier.

Forest then had their best spell of the game, matching Leicester for the final 15 minutes of the half and suggesting they could force their way back into the tie.

They began the second half promisingly, with Marlon Harewood blazing over after a sharp turn on the edge of the box.

But the game was as good as over within five minutes of the restart when the lively Nugent flicked on a long punt by Kasper Schmeichel and Beckford cleverly dinked the ball over the advancing Camp.

Beckford completed his treble when he followed up his own strike to bounce the ball over Camp at the second time of asking.

Danns and Peltier both shot wide late on, Beckford nearly added a fourth and Paul Gallagher also fired over.

Leicester's will host League Two side Swindon Town in the fourth round.