Blues secure third place with fine away show against rivals
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LEEK Town turned in an excellent performance at rivals Marine to win 3-1 and clinch a home play-off semifinal against Runcorn Linnets.
Leek began the game already upgraded to third place after Marine had been deducted three points for playing an ineligible player in a 3-0 win over Kidsgrove back in October.
The Blues took a sixthminute lead when Tom Edge found the net with a powerful shot from the edge of the area.
It was all Leek and Dan Trickett-smith doubled their advantage with his 20th goal of the season in the 34th minute. A mistake in the home defence allowed him to chip the ball over ‘keeper Bayleigh Passant.
Five minutes later Tim Grice regained his position as the leading scorer with his 21st of the campaign to put Leek well in control.
Leek controlled the game after that with Marine only managing a consolation goal in the final minute. Jack Dunn fired a free kick past Danny Roberts and into the net.
Manager Neil Baker switched from the previous 4-3-3 formation against Kidsgrove Athletic to go with five at the back and have Ammar Dyer and Louis Keenan as attacking wingbacks to provide width going forward, which meant Will Saxon being sacrificed and having to take a place on the bench.
Playing with a strong wind behind them in the first half, Baker’s tactics nearly proved fruitful as the Blues immediately went on the attack and carved out an opportunity in the first minute as Dyer was played in on the right, but the youngster tried to find Grice in the centre when the shot was on.
More good play in the third minute resulted in Trickettsmith having a low shot saved by Marine goalkeeper Bayleigh Passant before Leek’s positive start was rewarded by a quality strike by Edge in the sixth minute.
This time the move came down the left with Marc Grocott linking up with wing-back Keenan and Trickett-smith, who laid the ball square for Edge to hit a sumptuous drive from 25 yards that found the top corner and gave Passant no chance. Clearly stunned by the start the visitors had made Marine strived to get themselves into the game with their main threat coming from Neil Kengni, but they were struggling against the wind and their efforts were being thwarted by the solid central three of Scott Wara, Josh Ryder and Olly Harrison.
Goalkeeper Danny Roberts had little to do but was nearly deceived by an in-swinging cross by Barrigan that avoided the onrushing Lewis Reilly and required him to parry away and then fall on the ball to avert the danger.
Leek doubled their advantage in the 34th minute courtesy of a calamitous mistake by the home keeper.
Some neat interplay by Billy Reeves and Grice in the middle of the pitch led to Reeves playing an intelligent ball over the top for Trickettsmith to run onto.
The Marine goalkeeper came out of his area to deal with danger but misjudged the bounce and the ball skimmed off his head to allow Trickettsmith to hook the ball into an empty net to the delight of the travelling Blues fans behind the goal.
And five minutes later it was 3-0. From a pass forward to Trickett-smith, the Blues forward attempted a dummy to allow the ball to roll onto Grice, and maybe was fortunate that the ball broke back to him.
But he drove towards the penalty area and with four Marine players around him, managed to get away an effort that the Marine keeper was only able to parry away to the lurking Grice, who finished neatly to put Leek into
dreamland, leading up to the break.
As expected, having the advantage of the wind, Marine improved in the second half and the Blues were forced to defend for long periods, but with a three-goal advantage were clearly happy to do so, manage the game sensibly, and looking to hit the home side on the counter attack.
Apart from one cross that flashed dangerously across the Leek six-yard box and a couple of long-range efforts, the Blues backline remained solid with the midfield trio of Edge, Reeves and Grocott working tirelessly in front of them and Marine were guilty of over hitting their passes with the wind.
The closest the home side came was as a result of a Leek mistake when a poor back header from Ryder was latched onto by Kengni, but he failed to get enough on the ball when trying to lift it over Roberts and his effort was straight into the keepers arms.
Marine did get a consolation in added time when Dunn scored with a quality free kick that flashed past Roberts into the top corner but by then the game was over.
BLUES: Roberts, Wara (Davidson 82), Keenan, Grocott (Short 78), Harrison, Ryder, Edge, Reeves, Grice, Trickett-smith (Saxon 77), Dyer. Subs not used: Booth, Ly
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