REPORT BY WINNERS LAD

Leek Town stretched their unbeaten run to 15 games in all competitions after coming from behind to beat Clitheroe in a closely fought contest with a 90th minute winner scored by centre half Josh Ryder that will have sent the majority of the watching 519 spectators home happy.

In a game full of high energy and quality football that was the perfect advertisement for showcasing non-League football at its best, Clitheroe took an early 7th minute lead when a long clearance out of defence turned into the perfect through ball for Max Cane to run onto and fire low past Danny Roberts with a clinical finish.

Undeterred by this setback Leek were into a good passing and move rhythm with Tim Grice and Rob Stevenson holding the ball well up front and bringing the midfield of Marc Grocott, Billy Reeves and particularly Will Hugill and Dan Trickett-Smith into play.

On 11mins an attack down the Leek left saw Hugill feed Stevenson the ball and the forward beat the Clitheroe fullback before delivering a cross that Grice flicked over the bar before an attack down he opposite wing a minute later involving Jesse Bavanganga, Trickett-Smith and Hugill resulted in the latters left footed effort being saved by Chris Thompson.

The visitors had a 'special weapon' in their armoury in the form of long throws from either flank that arrowed into the box and nearly doubled their lead in the 13th min from one such throw. Roberts came to meet the delivery but his punch only went as far as Richard Baker and his follow up effort had to be headed off the line by Bavanganga.

It proved to be a vital clearance as the Blues drew level minutes later when, from a quickly taken short corner the ball was laid back to Bavanganga and his cross was met by a stooping Ollie Harrison who directed his header into the corner of the net for his second consecutive goal from corners in two weeks.

The first half continued to flow from end to end and Clitheroes pacy forwards proved a constant threat to the Leek back line with balls played down the channels for them to run onto and from which they won a series of corners which eventually led to them retaking the lead in the 27th min. Leek had already survived two corners by deflecting a shot wide and Roberts palming away another effort before conceding on the third. An initial clearance was returned into the box and found an unmarked Reece Webb-Foster who produced a fine first time effort into the far corner.

As they had done previously the Blues looked to hit back. Trickett-Smith forced Thompson into a near post save and from the resultant corner the ball found Stevenson who's effort was deflected away for another. The Clitheroe defence comfortably cleared the next delivery but only to Reeves who fired back a thumping effort from 25yds that whistled just wide.

The score, therefore, remained 2-1 to the visitors going into the half time break which on the balance of play was just about deserved.

LEEK TOWN 1 - CLITHEROE 2 FT

As they had done the previous week at Witton the Blues faced having to come from behind in the second half against determined opponents but made their intentions clear with an early chance from a Louis Keenan free kick when Ryder had a great chance with a free header at the far post but his effort was disappointingly wide.

The Blues increased the tempo of their attacks and started to ask questions of the Clitheroe defence. On 57mins Stevenson neatly turned his marker, Cameron Lancaster, on the edge of the area but dragged his shot wide and a minute later Ryder again met an inswinging free kick but didn't get a clean connection and his header ended up in Thompsons arms.

On the hour the Blues were a whisker away from the equaliser as Trickett-Smith broke forward and released Stevenson down the left. The forward played it first time across the face of goal and Grice just couldn't get a decisive touch on the ball to steer it home as he slid in.

Just 2mins later, however, the Blues pressure finally reaped reward with their second equaliser of the game, and it was all a result of the tenacity of Hugill who did really well to retain possession under huge pressure from a couple of Clitheroe defenders down the Leek right before the ball was worked across and laid into the path of Marc Grocott who fired hard and low into the net from 20yds.

Whilst Clitheroe were proving they could still be a threat on the break the impetus was now all with Leek and on 65mins a slick passing move involving Reeves, Stevenson and Trickett-Smith resulted in Thompson producing a fine left handed save low down to turn Trickett-Smiths left footed effort around the post.

Thompson came to Clitheoes rescue again on 70mins. Reeves did well to take the ball off Charlie Russell in midfield and found Trickett-Smith in space who immediately fed the ball to Stevenson. Attacking the Clitheroe defender Stevenson did his trademark feint and cut inside to curl a right footed effort towards the far post and Thompson tipped it wide for the corner. When this was delivered Harrison met it at the far post but this time his header was straight at Thompson.

In a breathless period of the game the action continued. Trickett-Smith slid the ball to Grice inside the area and despite turning his marker to get a shot away the Clitheroe defender just managed to get something on it to take the sting out of the effort and Thompson was able to fall on the ball, whilst at the other end Roberts was forced to palm away an effort from Edwards as the visitors briefly threatened.

Into the last ten minutes of the match and each side were only one decisive chance away from grabbing a winner. The visitors had a couple of corners, one of which produced a rehearsed near post move that nearly caught the Blues off guard but was eventually dealt with whilst Thompson produced another save to deny Stevenson a goal his performance had deserved.

There was a sense of the game building up to a dramatic climax and so it turned out to the delirium of the home fans in the 90th min. A free kick was won out on the Leek right and in almost a carbon copy of the earlier chance Keenan swung in an excellent delivery and Josh Ryder got on the end of it to, steer an header into net and make it 3-2.

There was still 4mins of injury time to see out and apart from a desperate long range effort that sailed wide Clitheroe were unable to recover from such late blow and the Blues were able to celebrate another 3pts thanks mainly to a second half performance that eventually wore down their opponents.

LEEK TOWN 3 - CLITHEROE 2 FT

Leek now have a quick turnaround with another home game at F. Ball Community Stadium where they face Widnes on Tuesday evening

Leek Town line up as follows

1. Roberts

2. Bavanganga

3. Keenan

4. Grocott (c)

5. Harrison

6. Ryder

7. Hugill replaced by Carr (72)

8. Reeves

9. Grice

10. Trickett-Smith replaced by Thorley (82)

11. Stevenson replaced by Wara (90)

Substitutes : Baker, Davidson (unused)

Attendance : 519