FIVE-STAR GRICE IS
LEEK TOWN breezed into the next round of the FA Trophy with a comprehensive 7-0 secondqualifying round rout at Market Drayton Town with club record goalscorer Tim Grice scoring five.
Grice opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 10th minute and seven minutes later Jack Wakefield added a second with a controlled finish.
Another penalty was despatched by Grice on the half-hour mark as the oneway traffic continued.
After the break Market Drayton keeper Toby Ashwyn conceded an own goal and Grice completed his hat-trick in the 60th minute.
There was no stopping him now and six minutes later he netted his fourth before rounding it all with a fifth to make him the club’s record scorer in the FA Trophy.
It was Leek’s biggest win since a 9-0 victory at Lincoln United four years ago. Leek also take £2,250 in prize money.
KIDSGROVE ATHLETIC also made it through to the next round with a 4-1 home win over Evesham United.
Grove took the lead in the sixth minute when a John Johnston free-kick was headed home by Anthony Malbon.
Evesham levelled in the 22nd minute when Callum Ebanks concluded a surging run by thumping a rocket shot past Keiran Harrison from the edge of the box.
Four minutes into the second period Grove were awarded a penalty when
Ryan Paddock handled in the area and Johnston, a recent signing from Chester, duly scored from the spot.
Grove made it 3-1 in the 56th minute when Kieran Brown headed home. Another cross from the right wing saw Brown direct another header into the net in the 62nd minute.
The referee had to leave the
field with an injury and an appeal to the crowd led to a qualified spectator running the line for the latter part of the game.
NEWCASTLE TOWN twice came from behind to win a thrilling encounter 3-2 at Coleshill Town.
Coleshill opened the scoring in the 25th minute when Josh Willis played a
ball over the top and Kai Tonge seized on it to slide it past the advancing Owen Mooney.
Castle were level seven minutes later. A scramble in the box saw keeper Paul Hathaway claw the ball away, only for Challis Johnson to head it past him and into the net.
Coleshill regained the lead
five minutes before the break when Amarvir Sandhu sent over a teasing cross and Gio Dainty headed home from close range.
Newcastle were level again in the 53rd minute when an Ethan Vale free-kick was glanced home by James Askey.
The game was then end to end for spell before Castle went ahead for the first time 10 minutes from time.
The ball fell to leading scorer Jack Van der Laan and as the defence backed off he cracked the ball into the net from 18 yards to put Newcastle into the hat for the next round.
FA CUP heroes Hanley Town returned to Midland League Premier Division action and were held to a 2-2 draw by Lichfield City at the Payaro Stadium.
Player-manager Carl Dickinson had a shot saved before Hanley went in front in the 31st minute.
Hanley were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box and Kyle Stubbs drove it low through the wall and keeper James Beeson could only palm it into the net.
Lichfield levelled in the 41st minute when a Max Dixon cross was turned home at the near post by Jack Edwards.
Lichfield turned the game around in first-half stoppage time when Edwards fired a loose ball into the net after a Luke Childs cross wasn’t properly cleared.
Hanley went in search of a leveller after the break and skipper Louis Dodds had a shot deflected wide.
The equaliser came in the 57th minute when a Dodds corner was powerfully headed home by Dickinson. The result leaves Hanley and Lichfield as the only two unbeaten teams.
UTTOXETER picked up their first league win in eight games with a 3-2 win over Highgate United at Oldfields.
Highgate went in front in the 16th minute through Ryan Linford Boothe, but a minute later Uttoxeter were awarded a penalty.
Jake Avery’s spot-kick was parried by Gabriel Bajrami
as was the rebound, but his third effort did find the net.
Four minutes later Avery scored again to put Uttoxeter in front. It was 3-1 when Ollie Ritchie found the net in the 48th minute.
Highgate scored again in the very last minute through Trevor Edwards.
STONE OLD ALLEYNIANS
seemed destined for their sixth successive defeat when they trailed 3-0 at home to Walsall Wood with just 10 minutes remaining, but they produced a superb comeback to draw 3-3.
All the goals came in the final 33 minutes of the game. Walsall opened the scoring in the 57th minute when
Jordan Fitzpatrick powered a shot in and four minutes later Matt Hughes converted a corner for their second.
It seemed all over when Ryan Nesbitt made it 3-0 in the 67th minute.
The great comeback began in the 80th minute when Jack Bowater fired home from a cross.
A minute later Bowater was fouled in the box and Dave Ablewhite scored the subsequent penalty.
The home contingent erupted when Stone equalised in the 87th minute. Bowater hit a shot against the bar and Jack Tomlinson netted from the rebound.
NANTWICH TOWN moved up to 13th in the Northern Premier League top-flight table with a 2-0 victory at FC United of Manchester.
Dabbers keeper Matt Gould saved well from Regan Linney before the visitors had the ball in the net in the 37th minute.
Thommy Montefiori found the net from 20 yards, but the goal was disallowed for a foul on the keeper.
The same fate befell FC United in the 68th minute when a Linnet header was ruled out for a push.
Nantwich broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute. Sean Cooke found Dan Cockerline and he steered it past the advancing Dan Lavercombe.
Two minutes later the Dabbers were awarded a penalty when Cockerline was brought down in the box. Sean Cooke fired the spotkick into the roof of the net to seal the points.
STAFFORD RANGERS were beaten 1-0 at Marston Road by Scarborough Athletic.
Rangers began well and skipper Alex Harvey fired just over the bar. Tom Tonks was causing problems for the visitors with his long throws and Jake Charles had a shot deflected wide from one of them.
It was Scarborough who took the points, though, in the 70th minute.
Josh Barrett sent over a low cross and Nathan Cartman drove it past Luke Pilling.