LEICESTER boss Steve Cooper escaped a confrontation with a pitch-invader thanks to a player stepping in to floor the intruder.
A seething fan emerged from the away end, ran across the pitch and appeared to be heading for Cooper when he was knocked to the deck.
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Walsall star David Okagbue tackled the man before stewards intervened and escorted him out of the ground.
The incident took place 16 minutes from full-time as the Foxes were locked in a goalless stalemate with League Two Walsall.
The minnows forced a penalty shootout but lost 3-0 on spot-kicks.
Cooper insisted afterwards: “I didn’t really see it. But I obviously heard the chanting in the crowd and I’ll own that.
“You’ll never hear me showing any disrespect towards the fans’ opinion of you. That’s what a supporter is, he needs to support his club in how he sees fit.
“I’ve obviously got to build some credit here with the supporters and earn the right to do the job. But I knew that anyway.
“It’s things like that will make me even more determined to do well because I’m desperate to do that. I’ve absolutely no problem with it.”
Earlier, furious Leicester fans chanted: “Cooper, Cooper sort it out,” as the Premier League side struggled to make any impact against Mat Sadler’s Saddlers.
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Walsall had already knocked out League One pair Exeter City and Huddersfield Town to reach the Carabao Cup third round for the first time in nine years.
And the high-flying League Two outfit made it clear they weren’t about to sit back and admire their Prem opponents.
Strapping Saddlers defender Okagbue set the tone, sending Bobby Decordova-Reid crashing into the advertising boards within two minutes, much to Hamza Choudhury’s annoyance.
Leicester’s mood certainly didn’t improve during a frustrating first-half in which they enjoyed 73.9 per cent possession, yet they didn’t manage a shot on target until four minutes before half-time.
Even then it was a tame attempt as Facundo Buonanotte’s diving header from Boubacar Soumare’s cross deflected off Odsonne Edouard and landed tamely in Tommy Simkin’s gloves.
In contrast it took a fine reflex save from Danny Ward to keep Leicester on level terms after 17 minutes.
Nathan Lowe’s dangerous cross from the right just evaded Albert Adomah but dropped perfectly for Charlie Lakin whose volley was brilliantly beaten out by the Wales international.
And the Foxes survived another major scare within two minutes of the restart.
Abdul Fatawu gifted the ball to Lowe who set up Albert Adomah in front of goal but the former Aston Villa ace screwed his shot hopelessly wide with Ward’s goal at his mercy.
Leicester fans’ patience had worn thin and they chanted: “Cooper, Cooper, sort it out.”
The Welshman sent on Jordan Ayew for the ineffective Edouard and Fatawu fired into the side net then slashed a shot wide.
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Danny Ward was Leicester’s spot-kick king again as they side scraped through against Walsall on penalties.
The Wales international saved all three Saddlers penalties, diving to his right to deny Taylor Allen, Okagbue and Liam Gordon.
Meanwhile, Ricardo Pereira, Conor Coady and Oliver Skipp all kept their nerve to show their opponents how it should be done as they converted their efforts.
Cooper tried to turn unease from the crowd into a positive in one sense as he said: “It’s maybe nights like this that you can look back on a form a strong relationship – that’s my objective.
” really want to do well for this club. I’ve bought into what it stands for and the people who work here on the football and non-football side are so well-natured I really want to do well.
“I take that responsibility seriously. That extends to the supporters as well.”
And of the vocal criticism he added: “It just makes me more determined.
“I see the guys working so hard. No one said it was going to be easy.
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“I’s not that often you see a newly-promoted team come into this league and hit the ground running and sail away in the Premier League.
“It’s going to be a challenging season. It always is when you get promoted from the Championship. No one is up for it more than me.”
