Seven-goal spectacular sees Town through
Loughborough Dynamo ........... 2
Leek Town ................................. 5
LEEK Town progressed to the next round of the Buildbase FA Trophy with a stunning 5-2 win at Loughborough Dynamo in the Preliminary Round replay.
The game, that saw the sides share seven goals, the woodwork hit by both sides and a penalty missed, could hardly have contrasted more with the 0-0 bore draw at Harrison Park on Saturday.
Jordan Johnson returned from suspension for Leek, allowing Neil Baker to revert to the 4-3-3 formation that has served his side so well in the last few weeks.
It took just four minutes for the opening goal to arrive with Rob Stevenson doing some good work down the left to find Johnson who squared the ball for Aaron Bott to give him an easy tap-in from four yards.
The lead lasted 10 minutes as Loughborough equalised with a low angled shot from Josh Riley after a fast break down the right.
However, parity only lasted until the 19th minute when Blues took a quick throw in and Billy Reeves slotted a superb pass through to Stevenson who lifted the ball over the advancing keeper and into the net.
Play swung from end to end on a slick surface that helped crisp passing. Grocott volleyed over from Reeves’ cross and Dynamo had another break but this time the angled finish went over the bar.
On 40 minutes Danny Roberts got down well to keep out a header, but he could do nothing a minute later when a good move by the home side ended with Corbi Brown connecting with the low cross, but his shot thudded into the crossbar and away to safety.
Proof it was not going to be Brown’s night came in the 45th minute when Dynamo were awarded a penalty after Niall Green was adjudged to have brought down his man.
Brown stepped up and blazed the penalty high over the crossbar, the ball ending up in the car park outside of the ground!
There was still time left in the half for Jordan Johnson to shoot narrowly wide from one of his trademark 30yard free-kicks.
Blues went further ahead 10 minutes after the break when a left wing cross was met by the head of Bott.
His misdirected header landed behind him but at the feet of Stevenson who composed himself before picking his spot and drilling the ball low into the corner of the net.
Johnson had a great chance when one-on-one but put his effort wide, but It was 4-1 after 61 minutes when a corner was played in by Reeves and Bott was on hand to net from close range.
Loughborough weren’t finished though and they pulled a goal back within a minute as Danny Gordon’s left wing cross dropped rather fortuitously in at the far post.
A minute later Dynamo went close again and Roberts made a good save with his legs to deny the home side as they broke clear into the box.
Blues killed the game with a fifth in the 70th minute. Bott was played in and found himself in the clear and he coolly slipped the ball past the keeper to complete his hat-trick. Having seen his strike partners scoring, Johnson was desperate to get on the score sheet himself and was unlucky on 82 minutes when his curling effort smacked against the post with the keeper beaten.
This was a tremendous game and a handy £3,000 in the bank from the prize fund for Leek, who now go on to play Stamford away on Saturday in the first qualifying round.
BLUES: Roberts, Green, Kearns, Grocott, Lycett, Chadwick, Reeves, Hall, Johnson, Bott (Walford), Stevenson (Bavanganga). Unused subs: Ben Cortes-smith, Hurd
ATTENDANCE: 100
REFEREE: M Tinsley