Act in haste, repent at leisure.

Red-carded James Vaughan certainly faces a long and frustrating wait for the chance to get Saturday out of his system.

His absence for the closing stages of a fast, frantic and exciting Championship contest certainly didn't help Town in their brave bid to avoid a sixth successive defeat in league games at Leicester.

And it remains to be seen what impact the top scorer’s enforced three-match absence will have, and how manager Mark Robins will replace him – with Martin Paterson, Jon Stead, Duane Holmes or Danny Carr, or even by dipping into the loan market.

At half-time, the home side led through former Halifax striker Jamie Vardy’s sizzling strike and Anthony Gerrard’s unfortunate own goal, headed powerfully past Alex Smithies from Anthony Knockaert’s awkwardly inswinging corner.

“Creative, incisive and in charge,” trumpeted the home media man on Leicester’s official Twitter feed.

Not from Town’s point of view, however, because while Smithies had made some excellent and vital saves, the best to thwart David Nugent, so had home stopper Kasper Schmeichel – not least from Vaughan, who had given centre-backs Wes Morgan and Marcin Wasilewski a tough time.

There was a fear Leicester could have run riot, just as they did last New Year’s Day, when they were 6-1 winners in this fixture, but also a feeling Town could yet mount a comeback.

The next goal proved crucial indeed.

It came in the wake of a double change by Robins, whose ability to alter the shape of his sides and make effective use of substitutes continues to catch the eye.

On came Sean Scannell and Duane Holmes for Adam Hammill and Paul Dixon, then came the goal the 913 Town fans in a 22,297 crowd craved, Scannell seizing on a clever Vaughan dummy to tie Morgan in knots before angling in a shot which Leicester left-back Paul Konchesky could only divert into his own net for the second own goal of the afternoon.

It was game on, but not for Vaughan, who left the fray in the 84th minute after being caught by a Wasilewski elbow and reacting by giving the Polish defender a two-handed shove in the back.

While there was a reason for the 11-goal top scorer’s pique, there was also reason for referee James Adcock to show a straight red.

But as Robins pointed out afterwards, the Leicester player, who was an unused substitute for his country when England beat the Poles at Wembley last Tuesday to make the World Cup finals, should have had one as well.

While Vaughan certainly has a feisty side, he wouldn’t be the same player without it, but a first red card for a Town player this season, and a second of the former Norwich player’s career, certainly isn’t helpful at this, or any other stage of the campaign.

Town are certainly a stronger side than last season, when they tussled with relegation, but it’s now five league games without a win ahead of the big home derby with Leeds, against whom Vaughan scored the winner in the rivals’ last meeting, at Elland Road in March.

He certainly won’t be doing the same thing this Saturday.

Run of the ball

2mins:  Peter Clarke makes a block to deny Lloyd Dyer.

7mins:  After a sweeping move involving Danny Ward and Paul Dixon, James Vaughan brings a great save from Kasper Schmeichel.

11mins:  A Leicester counter-attack brings the opening goal, with David Nugent setting up Jamie Vardy to drill a shot into the roof of the net.

14mins:  Schmeichel saves Vaughan’s header.

21mins:  Anthony Gerrard’s shot is blocked, with Ward’s effort from the rebound saved.

25mins:  Alex Smithies makes a top one-handed stop to thwart Nugent in a one-on-one.

26mins:  Ward’s shot is beaten away by Schmeichel.

35mins: Ward has one effort blocked, then curls a second off target.

38mins:  Gerrard’s own goal, headed in from Anthony Knockaert’s corner, puts the hosts two up.

42mins: Schmeichel saves from Vaughan again – Dixon taps in the rebound but is offside.

45mins:  Knockaert is twice denied – by Smithies’ save, then Lynch’s block.

54mins: A low shot from Nugent is saved by Smithies.

55mins:  After Vardy’s shot is blocked, Smithies punches away Nugent’s effort.

57mins:  Smithies is back in the action, this time saving from Andy King.

67mins:  Town are right back in the match as substitute Sean Scannell seizes on Vaughan’s dummy and beats home skipper Wes Morgan before sending in a low shot which left-back Paul Konchesky can only divert into his own net.

85mins:  Yet another excellent save from Schmeichel, this time to prevent Town substitute Duane Holmes levelling.