Brighton & Hove Albion's survival hopes took a blow this afternoon as Chris Hughton's men fell to a 2-0 home defeat against 10-man Leicester City in the Premier League.
Albion frontman Glenn Murray missed a second-half penalty at the Amex, before Vincent Iborra and Jamie Vardy scored late for the Foxes to grab an unlikely three points for Claude Puel's charges, who were second best for much of the contest on the south coast.
Earning his first league start for Brighton, Jurgen Locadia's running off the defence caused the Foxes an early scare when the winger was picked out by a long ball forward from Lewis Dunk, but the German was unable to test Kasper Schmeichel.
Brighton slowly began to turn the screw in a first half initially bereft of clear-cut chances and they might have found a lead when Locadia capped off a fine passing move to lash across the box, where Jose Izquierdo was a fraction away from getting a vital toe to the ball.
Leicester were unable to offer much of note going forward and they were nearly punished before the break when Pascal Gross sent a slide rule pass behind the City defence, only for Murray to somehow fire wide with Schmeichel rushing off his line.
Albion started the second period with more intent and they almost took the lead through Gross, but he saw his effort from the edge of the box tipped around the post by a leaping Schmeichel just a matter of minutes after the resumption.
Gross appeared the most creative force for the hosts and he sent in a testing free kick that was met by Dunk, only for the centre-back to see his effort loop over the crossbar despite getting the better of Harry Maguire in the area.
Hughton's men were presented with another chance to earn a crucial victory in the closing stages of the game, when Solly March provided some great work to play in Izquierdo, who was clattered by both Wilfred Ndidi and Maguire as Albion won a penalty.
Murray stepped up but soon saw his kick saved by a diving Schmeichel, as the striker again came up short on a frustrating afternoon.
The miss was to prove costly as Leicester came to life in the dying embers to find an unlikely opener, when Ben Chilwell crossed from the left for Iborra, who broke free of Bong to head beyond a stranded Mathew Ryan with 83 minutes played.
The controversy was not over just yet, though, as Ndidi was given his marching orders after a second yellow card, but Leicester were then able to snatch another late goal when Vardy broke free at the back post deep into injury time to seal an unlikely 2-0 victory for the away side.
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION (4-4-1-1): Ryan; Schelotto, Duffy, Dunk, Bong; Locadia (March 75'), Propper, Kayal (Baldock 84'), Izquierdo; Gross; Murray
LEICESTER CITY (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Maguire, Chilwell; Mahrez (Fuchs 85'), Iborra, Ndidi, Albrighton (Gray 79'); Okazaki (Diabate 56'), Vardy
Christopher Dodd
