BY JONATHAN EELES

Leek Town's indifferent start to the season continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw by winless Ramsbottom. The Blues failed to capitalise on their early one nil lead courtesy of Marc Grocott and were made to pay late on in the game as the visitors fashioned an equaliser to claim their first league point of the season.

Manager Neil Baker made one change to his starting line up from the midweek draw with Glossop, Will Saxon replacing Tom Carr in the Blues forward line. A crowd of 324 saw a lively start to the game as Saxon fired an early effort over the bar for the hosts whilst at the other end, Billy Hasler-Cregg forced a save from Sam Booth with a driven shot from the edge of the area.

Territorially the Blues were edging the game and took the lead on 12mins as captain Grocott picked up the ball some 25yds out, turned, and rifled a low effort past keeper Charlie Monks for a great finish. Leek continued to dominate the possession and half chances came and went for Rob Stevenson and Billy Reeves whilst Grocott nearly got his second but was denied by a Ramsbottom defensive block inside the 6yd box.

Rammy began to grow more into the game and, prompted by the midfield pair of Jay Rother and Domaine Rouse, they had a decent 10min spell where Rother was wide with both a near post header and a shot from distance before Leek reasserted themselves and Josh Ryder had a header flash just over from a whipped in Trickett-Smith feee kick.

The visitors remained a threat coming forward and Hassler-Cregg had a flicked near post effort but fortunately for the Blues it was straight at Booth who was well positioned, before Leek finished the half strongly and nearly took a two nil lead into the break. After forcing a couple of corners the second one saw a rehearsed move where Reeves played the ball to Trickett-Smith on the edge of the box and his first time curled effort struck the crossbar before being scrambled clear.

HT LEEK TOWN 1- RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 0

After an early volleyed effort from Rouse that flew high over Booths goal as the second half got underwaythe Blues once again gained the ascendency and for the next quarter of an hour pinned the visitors back in their own half with long periods of possession but somehow failed to make it count in terms of increasing their lead.

Olly Harrison had a header smartly tipped over by Monks on 51mins, although the referee had actually seen an infringement, whilst a minute later another corner routine again found Trickett-Smith but this time his curled effort was wide. The best chance came on 54mins when Grocott broke up a Rammy move and the Blues quickly broke forward through Saxon and Trickett-Smith. The latter advanced into the area and beat Monks with a left foot effort but saw it come back down from the underside of the bar and Saxon could not control his follow up volley with the ball flying wide of the unguarded net.

The Rammy goal was leading a bit of a charmed life at this point and Monks was forced to block another effort from Trickett-Smith, the keeper spreading himself well and saving with his legs and so the visitors made a change, taking off centre back Sam Holt who was walking a tightrope on a booking, bringing on Tony Donaldson and going to three at the back.

The substitute seemed to galvanise the vistors and with an extra man in midfield they started to enjoy more possession, with Donaldson becoming the focal point. Rammy sensed that having ridden the Leek onslaught they could get something out of the game and Rouse had a tremendous 30yd effort that just flew wide of Booths upright.

Baker also made substitutions and, to the surprise of many, took off his front three of Stevenson, Saxon and Trickett-Smith, who had proved troublesome to the Rammy defence for the majority of the game. Unfortunately the replacements of Tom Carr, Lewis Short and Jack Tomlinson failed to make an impact as the visitors started to enjoy their most prominent period of the game and the sucker punch for Leek came on 80mins as a promising Rammy move ended with Ryan Jennings sweeping home a low cross from the right to the delight of the visiting fans.

The equaliser seemed to deflate the Blues and lacking their earlier attacking threat and cohesion they were unable to respond to being pegged back. If anything the visitors looked more likely to snatch an unlikely win but, in the end, both sides had to settle for a point. Leek, however, will

consider it two points lost over the 90 minutes.

FT LEEK TOWN 1- RAMSBOTTOM UNITED 1

Leek Town line up as follows

1. Booth

2. Wara

3. Keenan

4. Grocott (c)

5. Harrison

6. Ryder

7. Saxon replaced by Carr (72)

8. Reeves

9. Davidson

10. Trickett-Smith replaced by Tomlinson (79)

11. Stevenson replaced by Short (72)

Substitutes : Bavanganga, Morris (unused)

Attendance : 324