Stephy Mavididi shines as Leicester ease past Cheltenham in FA Cup third round

Two moments of real quality from Stephy Mavididi ensured Leicester avoided an FA Cup upset with a 2-0 third-round win at Cheltenham.

Mavididi set up the opener for Patson Daka with some neat footwork in the 23rd minute and he then added the second just before half-time after another piece of skill that the League Two side could not live with.

Steve Cotterill’s Robins competed well and Luke Young’s free-kick from the edge of the box nearly opened the scoring in the 14th minute, flashing just past the right post.

Robbie Cundy’s header from Young’s corner cleared the bar two minutes later as the hosts continued to threaten.

However, the Foxes scored with their first serious attempt, when Mavididi played in Daka, and the Zambia international curled a perfectly-placed shot beyond the full-stretch dive of Joe Day from just inside the box.

Day did well to turn a powerful header from Jannik Vestergaard over the bar from Louis Page’s corner in the 29th minute, just after Silko Thomas had gone close to a second for the Championship side.

Cheltenham threatened again when Jordan Thomas forced Asmir Begovic into a diving save after good work from Jake Bickerstaff in the 38th minute.

But 2021 FA Cup winners Leicester doubled their lead in the final minute of the first half when Mavididi skipped away from Jonathan Tomkinson, cut in from the left and saw a low drive deflected past Day.

Jordan Thomas drew a fine save from Begovic in the 63rd minute with a deft chip after he had beaten Hamza Choudhury, but Cheltenham could not find a way through.

Mavididi had another effort deflected over the bar by Tomkinson in the 79th minute as Leicester looked for a third.

Oliver Skipp forced Day into a diving save in the final seconds, but Marti Cifuentes’ team had done enough.