Two days after issuing a denial that he and his teammates had a say in sacking Claudio Ranieri last week, Vardy was twice on target for caretaker manager Craig Shakespeare.

And the forward said that while the improved performance from a side that clawed out of the relegation zone was obvious, he said it was not a case of merely better effort.

"We've come in for a lot of unfair stick with things that have been in the press but you've seen that the lads wanted to react," Vardy told Sky Sports.

"The performance did that and we want to do it consistently. I couldn't put my finger on why we haven't been doing that regularly. We've been working hard and it's just not been happening but tonight it has all clicked.

"I wouldn't say it's a case of more effort. Shakes [Shakespeare] asked me to play higher up. I did that and I managed to get in behind quite a lot.

"I've been very frustrated with the amount of goals I've got this season but hopefully these will push me on.

"We needed to show that we've got that fight and win or lose, as long as the performance was right, we could hold our heads up high."

Danny Drinkwater, whose goal doubled Leicester's lead near the end of the first half, said a return to fundamentals helped them get back on track.

"It feels good. We need to enjoy it and build on it from here. You can call it a reaction. We've come in for a bit of stick.

"We make our game on the basics and we went back to basics -- forcing mistakes, pressing high up the pitch -- and that caused them problems and helped us."

Shakespeare did his chances of securing the job on a permanent basis, though the interim boss refused to talk up his chances of being in charge for Saturday's vital game against fellow strugglers Hull.

He said: "My remit was one game, that's what I said. Do I think I'm capable of it? Yes. Does it faze me? No.

"But I think it is in the powers-that-be, the owners who decide and do their job, their diligence to look. I am sure they will do that. It will take its course, they will sit down, and I will try to prepare the team as rightly as I can for Hull [on Saturday] unless told otherwise.

"It has been a strange few days. As an assistant manager, who has been an assistant manager for quite a number of years, to come into the press conference as I did on Friday, was a bit of a shock to see the amount, and the criticism levelled towards the players as well.

"I think, knowing Claudio, he would say 'that's football' [about the result]. He said that to me on Thursday night and reminded me of it on Friday morning."