REPORT BY WINNERS LAD

Although it was Halloween last week Leek Town must have got their dates mixed up as they put in a real Jekyll and Hyde performance with a truly awful first half display, but a better second half performance, to achieve a slightly fortunate victory against a tidy Witton Albion side that belied their lowly league position and who will have felt aggrieved not to have at least earned a point from the encounter.

For the starting line up, Blues manager Neil Baker made a couple of changes from the previous match at Trafford. Captain Marc Grocott returned to the side to bolster the midfield at the expense of Jesse Bavanganga, as the defence switched to a back four, and Tom Carr came back into the forward line with Dan Trickett-Smith named on the substitutes bench alongside new signing Tom Thorley.

It was Witton that made the faster start to the game with Harry McGee poking a chance just wide in the first minute and giving the Blues defence an early test from a couple of corners resulting from an attack after Louis Keenan had conceded possession with a poor attempted cross field pass. The Blues tried to gain a foothold in the game and a decent passing move in the 6th min that switched play from right to left resulted in a low curling cross by Keenan that Ollie Martin was forced to palm away for a Leek corner which Tim Grice subsequently met with a near post header but his effort was wide.

The weather then deteriorated with a torrential downpour and so did Leek's passing game and overall performance as they struggled to get out of their own half with Wittons pressing not giving them a moment on the ball and pressurising them into mistakes.

The hosts thought they had taken the lead on 9mins when from a poor Leek clearance a shot was fired in from Cameron Fogerty just inside the area. Danny Roberts saved but the loose ball fell to Joe Duckworth who put the rebound in only to be ruled offside by the assistant referee.

On 17 mins Witton had a penalty appeal waved away after a Scott Wara challenge on McGee as the hosts continually looked to attack down their left flank clearly targeting the struggling full back.

The considerable presence of Jordan Barrow in the Witton midfield and the guile and off ball running of Fogerty, Duckworth and Michael Koral ensured the home team remained on top and Barrow had an effort from outside the area deflected wide on 21mins.

It was to prove just a sighter for the powerful midfielder as he scored with a similar effort just 2mins later. It all began with a poor goal kick from Roberts who hit it straight down the middle to Fogerty when the Leek players had shifted left expecting the kick to go out wide. Witton were quickly able to build an attack down their left and when the ball was squared by Fogerty to Barrow he fired powerfully through a bunch of players beyond Roberts to give the hosts a deserved lead.

Despite being second best Leek had a great chance to equalise straight from the kick off as a mistake in the Witton defence let in Grice. Martin quickly rushed from his line to challenge Grice with the ball then falling to Rob Stevenson but with the empty net gaping a recovering defender was able to get a vital block and the chance was gone. On 33 mins a good Stevenson run won the Blues a corner from which Josh Ryder was able to flick on to the far post where a sliding Carr was able to divert the ball goalwards and Martin made a fine save with an outstretched leg.

It was Stevenson who was proving the Blues biggest threat, when the rest of the side could actually get the ball to him of course, which was unfortunately a rare occurrence in their disjointed play. Leeks first half display was summed up on 40mins when Roberts gathered from a Witton attack and threw the ball straight out of play when trying to reach Stevenson out on the left.

Amazingly, despite such a poor showing the Blues could have gone into the break level on terms. In the last minute of the half they finally put together a series of passes that eventually worked some space for Will Hugill who fed Tom Carr out on the right. He put in a low cross that zipped across the wet surface which a Witton central defender could only partially get a foot to and the ball flew up off him to Grice who, from a couple of yards out, leaned into the ball and diverted it into the net. The celebrations were cut short, however, as it was adjudged that the forward had used his upper arm in the process, where in fact he had chested the ball in.

WITTON ALBION 1 - LEEK TOWN 0 HT

After such a ineffective first half unsurprisingly Leek started the second having made two substitutions. Bavanganga was on for Wara and Trickett-Smith was on for Carr. No doubt with a few choice words from Baker still ringing in their ears the Blues began with more purpose and immediately levelled the game on 47mins.

The ball was worked down the right through Bavanganga, Hugill and Stevenson before Bavanganga whipped in a low curling cross that was finished from inside 6 yds by Tim Grice who had got in between the Witton centre half's.

The Blues were now galavanised and, prompted by Trickett-Smith who was finding space behind the front two of Grice and Stevenson to link up the attacks, they started to ask more questions of the Witton defence. On 54mins another low whipped cross from the right, this time from Hugill, resulted in Kingsley Williams almost putting the ball into his own net but luckily he fired the ball straight against Martin who had to make a reaction save.

The period of Blues dominance continued with a series of corners won and from a Keenan in-swinging delivery on 61mins Trickett-Smith met the ball with a glancing header but it flew just wide of the far post

Witton still posed a threat, however, and after a neat passing move that created an overlap on the left they had their own effort flash across the face of the Leek goal on 65mins before the Blues went ahead moments later.

Once again Leek found joy down the right and Grices low cross looked as if it would find Trickett-Smith before Barrow was able to stretch and get a toe on it at the near post to put it behind for yet another corner kick. This time Keenan's inswinger was met by Ollie Harrison and his powerful bullet header from 6 yds flew into the net giving Martin no chance and the Blues had turned the game on its head.

Witton were reeling at this point and Leek should have take advantage and killed them off just a minute later. A sweeping move saw Trickett-Smith play a lovely reverse pass into the path of Stevenson who crossed first time to find Grice. The forward took the ball round the sliding Martin but then lifted the ball wide of the near post with his weaker left foot.

As it was the game remained finely poised at 2-1 and, having made a couple of substitutions themselves, the hosts rallied and started to force Leek back onto the defensive.

Harrison was well placed to produce a timely clearance from inside his 6yd box from another cross from the left on 74mins whilst Roberts saved from close range on 75mins as Witton threaded the ball into the area with some neat interplay, before a header from McGee just flashed over Roberts bar on 84mins.

It was nail biting time for the Blues faithful who had travelled over to Cheshire in their numbers as Witton sought for the equaliser that their overall performance would have merited. And it nearly came in the 95th min with the last kick of the match.

Trickett-Smith was harshly penalised for a foul which gave Witton a free kick about 25yds out in an ideal central position. With Barrow jumping up and down in front of Roberts as a distraction substitute Elliott Rokka curled a right footed effort towards the top corner but Roberts produced a magnificent save flying to his left to finger tip the ball away for a corner. It was the last action of the game as the referee blew for full time with the Leek players immediately running to celebrate with the keeper who had probably earned them 2pts with that save.

WITTON ALBION 1 - LEEK TOWN 2 FT

So a great, if maybe not fully deserved victory, for Leek who like a lot of good sides found a way to win and have now stretched their unbeaten run to 14 matches in all competitions. As for Witton they certainly lived up to their club crest motto of Optima Tua Age (Do Your Best) and will certainly climb the league table with similar performances, in particular their first half showing where they made the Blues look second best.

Leek now return home to the F. Ball Community Stadium where they face Clitheroe in another tough test in the Pitching In NPL West

Tickets are available HERE

Leek Town line up as follows

1. Roberts

2. Wara replaced by Bavanganga (45)

3. Keenan

4. Grocott (c)

5. Harrison

6. Ryder

7. Hugill replaced by Trickett-Smith (45)

8. Reeves

9. Grice

10. Carr

11. Stevenson

Substitutes : Booth, Davidson, Thorley (unused)

Attendance : 460