FATAL BLOW

Foxes star smacks stunner to sink Cherries in extra-time

- MIKE WALTERS

ABDUL FATAWU threw off his superhero's cape to send Leicester waltzing towards Wembley with an extra-time bolt from the blue.

Ghanaian winger Fatawu turned down the chance to play in the Africa Cup of Nations last month to help the Foxes' promotion charge only to pick up a costly red card in the M69 derby defeat at Coventry.

But amid the glut of spurned chances at both ends, his winner at the Vitality Stadium was like discovering a gold ring in the compost.

Bournemouth lived to regret not closing down Fatawu (right, celebrating with Conor Coady) 25 yards out, and Cherries keeper Mark Travers should perhaps have kept it out of the top corner, but it was a sweeter strike than a dessert trolley.

And for Andoni Iraola's side, who are no strangers to bottling perfectly winnable cup ties, this goes down as yet another wasted opportunity.