Leek dig deep in big derby game to extend lead at top

Ladies seconds claim a narrow win on the road

Stourport 2nd XI ............. 2 Leek Ladies 1st XI .......... 3

LEEK Ladies 1st XI claimed victory by the odd goal in five away to Stourport 2nd.

Despite the awful conditions, Leek were eager to get into the game and held possession confidently from the start.

Within the first minute, Hazel Mycock spotted Ella Bray open on the right side and with a great through ball, opened up the play.

This allowed Alex

Hemming to receive the ball off Bray and fire it across the D, and Alice Sellers got on the end of it and scored.

A great start for the away side.

Then 10 minutes went by and Stourport retaliated.

With a slight lapse in marking, a forward was able to slip through and scored.

Determined to get back on top, defenders Sarah Hooper, Grace Alcock, Gemma Hurst and Nicola Wealleans held possession confidently, transferring the ball around the back.

Linking up with the midfield, Millie Bradbury found Jasmine Van Staden who drove up the pitch with power, finding Mycock at the top of the D.

Mycock took the shot and scored confidently, leaving the score line 2-1 at half time.

Leek started the second half with the same passion, with forwards Lydia

Murfin and Hannah Finney constantly hassling the Stourport defenders.

Leek held possession and strong tackling from Katie James in the centre meant Stourport struggled to break the press.

Further into the second half however, the home side earned a short corner, but goalkeeper Rebecca Gough ensured no conversion was made.

Hungry for another goal, leek transferred around the back meaning Wealleans could find Hemming in a high wide outlet, driving up the pitch she took a shot on the reverse stick and scored a great goal in the bottom corner.

The game continued and a rattled Stourport increased the intensity and pressure of the match, causing some green cards to be awarded but Leek remained calm and played on.

In the last minute, a lapse in concentration as the weather worsened meant Stourport scored a goal.

It was not enough though and the game ended 3-2 to Leek.

Player of the match went to Jasmine Van Staden.

LEEK bounced back strongly from the defeat last week and took maximum points at Longton to retain top spot in the league.

What’s more, with Stafford beating second-placed Walsall, the Moorlanders now have a seven-point lead at the top of the Midlands 2 West North table.

With the effects of storm Eunice still evident, the pitch had large areas of standing water and the Longton ground staff worked their magic to clear the worst puddles and allow the game to proceed in blustery wet conditions.

Lee Williams returned to the front row to join captain Eddie Cheadle and Bobby Cheadle. Head Coach Joel Booth and Joel Hine were the locks with Ollie Powell at No 8, George Hunt and Luke Staton on the flanks.

Liam Mcdermott was scrum half with Will Midwinter returning at fly half following recovery from injury.

Rob Mcdermott and James Floyd were the centre pairing and the back three were Sam Brereton, Jack Newton Taylor and Joe Byrne.

Sam Lloyd, Ben Barlow and Ollie Drew were named as finishers.

Leek started the game playing against the slight slope with the wind blowing across the pitch.

From the kick off the visiting pack took the initiative and forced the home side back.

The conditions did not suit running rugby and clean ball was hard to come by with both sides struggling to play with continuity.

On five minutes, the visitors won clean ball off a line out, Powell burst clear breaking through the Longton defence.

His offload found the onrushing Mcdermott who again moved the ball wide through the back line to winger Brereton, who coolly stepped inside his man to score a try on the left.

Midwinter hit the post with the conversion attempt.

The Moorlanders continued to attack and a clever kick from Mcdermott sent Byrne clear.

As the full-back fly-hacked the ball on, the bounce of the ball fell unkindly and ran dead over the line.

On the 20-minute mark, Leek were awarded consecutive penalties and elected to kick for touch on both occasions working their way up to the Longton five-metre line.

From the line out, the visitors’ pack formed a driving maul and drove over the line with Williams grabbing the try. The conversion was missed.

From the restart, the ball was worked out to Jack Newtontaylor, who set off down the wing. He was tackled by the Longton winger who was shown a yellow card for a no arms tackle.

Leek were firmly on the front foot now and on 30 minutes Byrne kicked a 50-22 which gave the visitors an attacking line out.

With the ball secured, fly half Midwinter ran at the Longton back line and with a neat show and go, burst through the gap and outpaced the full back to score under the posts, he kicked the conversion and Leek led 17-0.

The home team now began to force a way back into the game and their giant pack, using power to force their way up the pitch, went through 10 continual phases of possession which led to a score under the posts. The conversion was kicked, and Leek’s lead reduced.

In the dying minutes of the half, Longton again pressed up to the Leek try line, but the Moorlanders defence held firm as the half ended.

As the teams returned to the pitch for the second half, conditions had taken a turn for the worse, with a much stronger wind now blowing directly against the Moorlanders.

From the outset, Longton piled on the pressure and dominated territory and possession, but the whole visiting defence put in a herculean effort to hold out and eventually turn the ball over.

Try as they might against the strong wind, Leek failed to get into the Longton half.

For over 20 minutes the home side attacked, and the blue defensive wall held firm as Cheadle rallied his troops.

On 65 minutes, the visitors mounted their first attack of the half with Floyd breaking clear.

His pass found Byrne, but as the Leek full back stepped clear of the last defender, he slipped on the bog like surface.

The visitors were now clawing their way back into the game and gained more territory.

On 70 minutes they pressed up to the Longton five-metre line and the ball was worked to Midwinter, who crashed over to score Leek’s fourth try and earn the bonus point. The conversion was missed.

Longton now pressed forward and once again the Leek defence held firm.

The referee produced a yellow card, judging Cheadle had not rolled away following

a tackle and the Leek captain was sent to the sinbin.

The visitors held out for the remainder of the game and the defensive effort was just as impressive as the points scored.

The win moves Leek onto 72 points at the summit of the league.

Second-placed Walsall’s loss at Stafford increases the Moorlanders advantage with both sides having played 16 matches and with six games to go.

Due to the poor weather conditions, these two games were the only ones played with the other four games being postponed.

Leek 1st XV now have a free weekend. The 2nd XV are at home this Saturday with the England v Wales Six Nations game being screened live at 4.45pm.

Please get down to the club, support the 2s and then savour an early evening Six Nations game in the clubhouse.

The 1st XV has their next fixture at home against thirdplaced Moseley Oak on March 5. Note the kickoff will then be at 3pm.

The club will be hosting a Sausage and Cider festival and the clubs U7s team will be mascots for the day, please come along.