Blues secure the honours in clash with rivals Boro

LEEK Town ran out

2-0 winners at Stafford Rangers in a friendly encounter.

Rangers were without John Welsh and Ben Forrest who were carrying slight injuries after

Tuesday night’s victory over Hednesford Town. Also missing was triallist Scott Wara who has been released.

Leek were on the front foot from the off and stayed that way for the full 90 minutes with Rangers well off the level that they showed four days earlier.

Tim Grice missed a good chance to put the visitors’ ahead when he fired high over after Josh Williams had been caught in possession before Will Saxon wasted a better chance when he headed over at the back post from Marc Grocott’s centre.

Mo Sebbeh-njie made a good block to keep out Dan Trickett-smith but Leek thought they had taken a 13th minute lead from the corner but Saxon was in an offside position when he needlessly added a finishing touch to Leon Ashman’s goal bound shot.

Leek continued to press and it needed a well timed intervention from Jon Moran to deny Saxon after Jack Wakefield sent him clear.

Rangers did come more into it in the latter stages of the half as they forced a series of corners but a long range effort from Callum Coyle and a blocked shot from Jamie Sleigh was all the could produce in terms of efforts on goal.

Half-time brought just one substitution for Rangers – they made

11 at the same stage on Tuesday – while Leek made four and it was one of those fresh set of legs who fired the visitors in front on 55 minutes – Rob Stevenson the man on target following Louis Keenan’s free kick.

James Kirby looked set to extend the lead when he picked up Sam Coulson’s under hit back pass but the Rangers’ defender managed to spare his blushes, racing back to make the tackle after Kirby had clipped the ball past Lewis King.

Kirby missed another good chance soon after when he fired straight at King.

Tom Carr fired over for Rangers in a rare attack before Leek made sure of the win two minutes from time as Niall Green and Stevenson combined to give Kirby an easy finish.

There were no complaints at the outcome as Leek thoroughly deserved their victory. The result was not important and more concerning to Rangers will be an injury received by Joe Kenton early in the first half thanks to a firm but fair challenge from Grocott but the likelihood is that the midfielder will have time to recover before Rangers return to league action once more.

Rangers: King (Whitehouse 75), J

Williams (Jones 58), Keane (Cole 56), Moran (Coulson 46), Burns (Triallist C 82), Harvey, Kenton (Coyle 20), Sebbeh-njie (M Williams 56), Sleigh (Triallist B 68), Candlin (Carr 58), Cuff (Triallist B 58).

Leek: Roberts (Triallist 79), Lake, Keenan,

Grocott, Ashman, Chadwick (Green 65), Wakefield (Reeves 65), Reeves (Short 46), Grice (Kirby 46), Trickett-smith (Stevenson 46), Saxon

(Bell 46)