Leicester move up to second place in the Championship as a David Nugent strike saw off Middlesbrough.

Leicester hit the woodwork four times before ex-England international Nugent met a flick-on from strike partner Chris Wood with a crisp half-volley.
Anthony Knockaert's drive hit the bar and then post, while the Boro frame also denied Michael Keane and Wood.
Schmeichel kept out Emnes' penalty as the visitors remained in fifth spot.

Leicester boss Nigel Pearson remains a cult hero at Middlesbrough after captaining the Teesside club to Premier League promotion and two Wembley cup finals in the 1990s.

The Dane flung himself low to his left to push away the substitute's effort and cap a miserable day for Tony Mowbray's men.

The game was delayed by 15 minutes after the Middlesbrough players and staff were forced to walk the final part of their journey to the King Power Stadium because of heavy traffic in snowy weather.
But the less than ideal preparation did not seem to affect the visitors as they more than matched the in-form hosts during an entertaining first-half.
Leicester had won their previous three league games going into the match, scoring 11 goals in the process, and both teams knew they would move into the automatic promotion places with a victory.
Middlesbrough enjoyed plenty of attacking possession in the opening hour, though their goal also led a charmed life as the Foxes hit the woodwork on three occasions.
Knockaert hit a thunderous strike that beat Boro keeper Jason Steele but the ball hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced on the goalline before striking the right-hand post.

Leicester boast the meanest defence in the Championship having conceded just 23 goals in their opening 28 matches.

Keane's header looped on to the away crossbar in first-half stoppage time before Wood, who has scored six goals in three Leicester appearances since joining in a £1m deal from West Bromwich Albion, hit the woodwork with a far-post header.

But Middlesbrough could have opened the scoring after 36 minutes when Paul Konchesky blocked Rhys Williams's pullback from a tight angle after the away skipper had rounded Schmeichel.
Schmeichel denied the visitors again seconds later when he smartly blocked Andre Bikey's close-range header, but his finest stop came in the second minute of added time.
Foxes substitute Jamie Vardy inexplicably hacked down Williams, giving Emnes the opportunity to move Boro into fourth, but Schmeichel ensured Leicester kept their fifth clean sheet in six league matches.
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson:
"It feels great to be second in the league. The players applied themselves well tonight.
"In the second half we pushed the full-backs forward more and took more chances going forward.
"I think we had the better chances and it was a good game."
Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray:
"I'm unbelievably disappointed - I thought we did enough not to lose the game. We created more than enough chances to get something from the game against a good Leicester side who have been scoring freely.
"But we didn't stick the ball in the back of the net and goals change games."

Leicester City

• 01 Schmeichel
• 02 De Laet
• 03 Konchesky Booked
• 05 Morgan
• 15 M Keane Booked
• 04 Drinkwater
• 07 Marshall (King - 81' )
• 16 James
• 24 Knockaert (Dyer - 76' )
• 35 Nugent (Vardy - 83' )
• 39 Wood

Substitutes

• 13 Logan
• 22 Moore
• 10 King
• 11 Dyer
• 17 Gallagher
• 09 Vardy
• 14 Waghorn

Middlesbrough

• 01 Steele
• 02 Hoyte (Thomson - 21' )
• 03 Bikey
• 04 Friend
• 14 Williams
• 15 Hines
• 07 Leadbitter
• 16 McEachran (Emnes - 69' )
• 38 Haroun
• 11 Ledesma Booked
• 27 McDonald (Jutkiewicz - 72' )

Substitutes

• 31 Ripley
• 25 Reach
• 08 Thomson
• 10 Bailey
• 33 Smallwood
• 09 Emnes
• 17 Jutkiewicz

Live Text Commentary

90:00 +4:20 Full time

Full Time The referee blows his whistle to end the game.

90:00 +3:26 Foul by Chris Wood on Seb Hines, free kick awarded. Jason Steele takes the free kick.
90:00 +1:37 Grant Leadbitter takes a shot. Wes Morgan gets a block in. Inswinging corner taken from the right by-line by Emmanuel Ledesma. Rhys Williams takes a shot from long distance which goes wide of the right-hand post.
90:00 +1:10 Short corner taken by Emmanuel Ledesma from the right by-line.
90:00 +1:00 Penalty

Placed penalty taken by Marvin Emnes saved by Kasper Schmeichel. Leicester 1-0 Middlesbrough.

89:50 Jamie Vardy gives away a Penalty for an unfair challenge on Rhys Williams.
88:02 Effort from inside the area by Jamie Vardy misses to the left of the goal.
87:36 Lukas Jutkiewicz takes a shot. Save made by Kasper Schmeichel.
85:02 Unfair challenge on Rhys Williams by Jamie Vardy results in a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Jason Steele.
82:38 Unfair challenge on Rhys Williams by Jamie Vardy results in a free kick. Rhys Williams takes the free kick.
82:38 Substitution

Substitution David Nugent leaves the field to be replaced by Jamie Vardy.

80:41 Substitution

Substitution (Leicester) makes a substitution, with Andy King coming on for Ben Marshall.

78:27 Lloyd Dyer takes a shot. Save by Jason Steele.
77:59 Corner taken left-footed by Emmanuel Ledesma, clearance by Ritchie De Laet.
75:23 Emmanuel Ledesma takes the inswinging corner, Michael Keane manages to make a clearance. Shot by Kevin Thomson from outside the box goes over the net.
75:23 Substitution

Substitution (Leicester) makes a substitution, with Lloyd Dyer coming on for Anthony Knockaert.

73:18 Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Emmanuel Ledesma, save by Kasper Schmeichel.
72:28 The assistant referee signals for offside against David Nugent. Jason Steele takes the free kick.
71:25 Substitution

Substitution Scott McDonald leaves the field to be replaced by Lukas Jutkiewicz.

71:25 Scott McDonald produces a left-footed shot from inside the area that clears the crossbar.

Live text and data provided by The Press Association

As It Stood Table

Last updated 19 Jan 2013 00:00 UK

Position	Team	Played	Goal Difference	Points
No movement 1	Cardiff	27	19	57
No movement 2	Leicester	28	26	50
No movement 3	Hull	27	8	49
No movement 4	Crystal Palace	27	15	47
No movement 5	Middlesbrough	28	8	47
No movement 6	Watford	26	12	43
No movement 7	Millwall	27	4	41
No movement 8	Brighton	26	10	40
No movement 9	Nottm Forest	27	2	40
No movement 10	Burnley	27	1	39
No movement 11	Leeds United	27	-6	38
No movement 12	Derby	27	1	37
No movement 13	Blackburn	26	2	36
No movement 14	Charlton	27	-1	36
No movement 15	Blackpool	27	4	34
No movement 16	Bolton	27	-1	33
No movement 17	Huddersfield	27	-12	33
No movement 18	Wolves	27	-6	32
No movement 19	Ipswich	27	-21	31
No movement 20	Birmingham	27	-9	30
No movement 21	Sheff Wed	27	-12	28
No movement 22	Peterborough	27	-13	25
No movement 23	Barnsley	27	-15	24
No movement 24	Bristol City	26	-16	22