Ipswich snatch late leveller against Championship leaders Leicester

Leif Davis (right) scores an own goal for Ipswich against Leicester

Substitute Jeremy Sarmiento returned Ipswich Town to the automatic promotion spots with a last-minute equaliser against Championship leaders Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

In a thrilling second half, Foxes goalkeeper Mads Hermansen made a superb save from Wes Burns immediately after the break, while Kasey McAteer had an effort of his own cleared off the line at the other end.

But when Hermansen could only knock a Massimo Luongo shot down in the area, Sarmiento was quickest to pounce with a shot that squeezed under the Danish stopper.

It is the second time in four weeks Ipswich have left it late to earn themselves a share of the spoils with Leicester, having also done so on Boxing Day at Portman Road.

The draw this time lifted them above Southampton and into second place, with Leicester maintaining their seven-point lead at the top.

• Relive Leicester draw with Ipswich as it happened

The Foxes had a 10-game unbeaten league run, including eight wins, ended by Coventry City last time out.

It was a fourth league loss of the season and slowed their record pace in top spot, although only the Reading side that won the 2006 Championship title with a never-before-seen 106 points has amassed more points than Maresca's men after 28 games.

It was a game that also cost them Maresca's presence on the touchline for the visit of Ipswich after the Italian was shown a third yellow card of the season.

There were fears influential midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall would also be missing after picking up a knock in that game, but he was fit enough to start.

On the bench for the first time in two months, Leicester were also able to call on fit-again 37-year-old former England international Jamie Vardy - a striker whose goals got them promoted a decade earlier, then helped deliver a miraculous Premier League title and FA Cup glory.

His late introduction brought with it roars of delight, which were not to be repeated at full-time as Sarmiento stunned the Foxes faithful with his late equaliser.

Mavididi produces decisive moment

A bright, possession-dominant and menacing start by Leicester generated numerous chances, with Tom Cannon and Stephy Mavididi bobbing and weaving into the box before before being crowded out by Ipswich's defence.

A rare aimless pass from Dewsbury-Hall, as he looked to tee up Cannon at the end of a counter-attack started by Ricardo Pereira, allowed the first big chance go to waste only minutes before Hamza Choudhury had a fierce curled effort from outside the box pushed around the post by visiting keeper Vaclav Hladky.

Eventually, Ipswich's resistance was broken by Mavididi.

The former Arsenal, Juventus and Montpellier forward traded passes with both Harry Winks and Pereira before whipping a low ball across the face of goal that the backtracking Davis could only bundle into his own net.

Leicester kept racking up the first-half chances, but Pereira and McAteer were off target while Cannon was foiled by Hladky.

Ipswich push Leicester to the limit

Sarmiento scored two goals during a loan spell at West Brom in the first half of this season

Ipswich, a side that has come from a completely different direction to mount an automatic promotion push after coming up from League One, failed to seriously threaten in the first 45 minutes.

Kieran McKenna sent out a more positive Ipswich side for the second half, and among a succession of early corners Burns tested Hermansen with a fierce close-range volley.

It then took a Lewis Travis clearance off Ipswich's line to deny Leicester from going two up before the hour, while Cannon had a thunderous shot from the top of the box parried away by Hladky, who also went on to keep McAteer out late on.

It has taken a club-record 20-game unbeaten league run for Southampton to get into a tussle with Ipswich for the second automatic promotion spot, and Sarmiento's late leveller ensured they again take a stranglehold of that fight.