Leicester and Eldin Jakupovic live dangerously as Fleetwood come close

The Jamie Vardy derby could yet feature Jamie Vardy. If many a gaze was directed towards the executive boxes, the man who propelled Fleetwood Town and Leicester City to uncharted heights may be seen on the pitch when they replay next week. Fleetwood benefited from the fact that arguably their greatest alumnus was confined to the corporate seats but they almost avoided another reunion.

Because, a couple of minutes after the travelling fans had offered a critique of an unambitious, unimpressive display by chanting “We’re Leicester City, we’ve come for the draw”, they almost departed defeated.

Vardy is proof Fleetwood can recruit astutely from non-league clubs. He came from Halifax, Ashley Hunter from Ilkeston. As the game advanced into added time, the winger tried his luck. Hunter’s shot deflected off Yohan Benalouane, hit the post, Eldin Jakupovic’s face and the woodwork for a second time before the goalkeeper grabbed it. “We got a bit lucky at the end,” said a typically understated Claude Puel.

Fortune favoured the timid. Leicester failed to record a shot on target, with only Demarai Gray even threatening to find an opening. Puel made eight changes, in effect fielding a second-string side. “I think it is an important competition for fans,” murmured the Frenchman, perhaps scarred by his experience of reaching the EFL Cup final as the Southampton manager and still being sacked.

His Fleetwood counterpart objected to a focus on Puel’s omissions. “To assume we got a draw because of weak opposition, I think is the wrong angle,” said Uwe Rösler. “When you have a striker who cost £25m coming on, I assume the players playing instead of him are high quality.”

Kelechi Iheanacho was the replacement in question, his future cast further into doubt as he was named only on the bench. Ahmed Musa, omitted altogether, is a still likelier January departure. The starting XI nevertheless featured a duo acquired from Sporting Lisbon for a combined £50m. Islam Slimani proved an indifferent deputy for Vardy while Adrien Silva made his first start since his protracted move was completed. It ranked as a symbolic moment when the Euro 2016 winner was upended by Nathan Pond’s forceful but fair challenge.

There is a banner in the Memorial Stand proclaiming Pond Fleetwood’s captain, leader and legend and, if the words are not original, they are understandable. Pond played for Fleetwood in the ninth tier and helped them bridge a gulf of 48 league places against the team who, a few months ago, were still the defending champions.

He began on the bench, emerging to replace the injured Ashley Eastham and ensuring at least one catalyst in Fleetwood’s rise could play his part. The chairman, Andy Pilley, was stuck in the Caribbean, detained on a cruise. “Our owner unfortunately wasn’t here. He would have been very proud of us,” said Rösler, who was bemused to be asked if he was disappointed by the outcome.

“How can I be disappointed?” he replied. “It was the biggest game in our history. The club is in the best position ever. It was a sellout crowd and we are building a fan culture.”

It was evident in an excellent atmosphere. While the teams had emerged to the sound of Fleetwood Mac, seagulls supplied part of the soundtrack. So did both sets of fans, saluting the sidelined Vardy. In the cramped confines, even Puel was audible, the Leicester manager belying his reputation for whispering by barking orders from the touchline.

At one point, the only person who seemed unable to hear the shouting Frenchman was Shinji Okazaki, the substitute he was trying to summon. It was another moment to sum up Leicester’s ineffectiveness.