Luck plays big part in Leicester City's downfall against West Brom

Nigel Pearson said after only his side's third defeat of the Championship campaign that he never cursed bad luck.

The Leicester City boss is a big believer that you treat good fortune and bad in equal measure.

But, after Saturday's 2-1 defeat at home to West Bromwich Albion, he must have wondered what he had done as City's hopes of extending their six-game unbeaten run and inflicting a damaging defeat on a promotion rival faded in nine eventful first-half minutes.

It all started when Matt Oakley was penalised for a foul on Jerome Thomas in the 36th minute and received his fifth booking of the season.

From the free-kick, Graham Dorrans' scuffed attempt was allowed to bobble bizarrely through a crowd of players, taking City keeper Chris Weale completely by surprise.

By the time the usually immaculate Weale did react, it was too late and it nestled tamely into the bottom corner.

The net hardly bulged, merely fluttered.

Oakley then limped out of action with a groin strain, which was possibly aggravated by his challenge on Thomas. As City regrouped, Albion struck again with a superb goal from Chile international midfielder Gonzalo Jara, a man who was a complete unknown when he arrived but soon every side in the Championship will be aware of his talents.

There seemed little danger when Jara picked up the ball 30 yards from goal.

As the City defence backed off, he let fly with a dipping shot that beat Weale again at his near post.

It swerved and dipped but Weale, who is something of a perfectionist when it comes to his art, will still be disappointed he was beaten from such distance.

Worse was to follow as Pearson was forced to reshuffle his pack again just before half-time as Andy King had to be helped from the pitch with a suspected broken arm.

King has been one of City's most consistent performers in recent weeks and his return to the side at Middlesbrough has coincided with City's great run. It will be a massive blow to the 21-year-old Wales international if he has to spend a lengthy spell on the sidelines just as he was looking to cement his place in the City side.

It would be a body blow for Pearson as well because he has been left with few options in the middle of midfield.

Even if Oakley shakes off his injury over the next two weeks, he is now suspended for the visit of Plymouth and, with King out of action too, Pearson is left with just Richie Wellens as a recognised central midfield specialist.

Bruno Berner was switched from left-back to partner Wellens, and the Swiss crowd favourite will be able to fill the gap. But, if Oakley and King are both missing for a lengthy spell, Pearson may look to bring in a midfielder on loan to plug the gap.

The City boss will have welcomed half-time for the chance to reorganise his troops and turn to plan B, or even C, but he will have taken heart from the fact that, until the first goal, his side were very much a match for an Albion side that is expected to be in the frame for automatic promotion.

City needed a quick goal at the start of the second half to get themselves back in the frame and Paul Gallagher really should have provided it. This time it was not bad luck, just bad finishing.

Matty Fryatt was able to wriggle to the by-line and he pulled the ball back across the six-yard box and Gallagher had only to direct it on target to grab his third goal for the club, but he fluffed it and the chance disappeared. It was a crucial moment in the game. Buoyed by their let-off, Albion took advantage of City's midfield problems and began to put together the free-flowing passing moves that they are renowned for.

With Jara and Dorrans in control, City had to change again and the introduction of Steve Howard on the hour-mark saw the hosts apply some much-needed pressure on the Baggies defence.

Berner had a good chance after Martyn Waghorn had intelligently cushioned a Wellens pass back to the edge of the box, but he volleyed wide, and only two great last-ditch tackles from Gianni Zuiverloon and Abdoulaye Meite denied Fryatt.

However, at the other end, Albion were threatening to kill off City on the break and Weale had to produce a good save from a Chris Brunt header.

Jara should have had his second when the ball fell for him after Weale had raced out of his goal to snuff out danger but, with the goal at his mercy, Jara fired over the bar.

It should have been all over in the 79th minute when Scott Carson's long pump up-field was not dealt with by the City defence. Luke Moore seized on the bouncing ball and lobbed his shot over Weale but it bounced back off the bar.

To City's credit, they did not throw in the towel and kept pumping the ball into the Albion box in search of a lifeline. They got it, deep into added time, when Berner was on hand to ram home the rebound from close range after Gallagher's free-kick was saved by Carson.

However, it came too late for City to go in search of an equaliser. But they should put this defeat into context. It was only their third of the campaign against a good side, and they should take heart from the fact that, as another international break looms, they are still in great shape to achieve their goals this season. They just need a better bit of luck.