Short stands tall as Town make it 10 wins out of 11
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LEEK Town made it 11 wins from their last 12 matches with a 2-1 home victory over Ramsbottom United in the North West Counties League West Division.
Blues took a 12th-minute lead. Jamie Rother had a clearance blocked by Billy Reeves and the ball went straight to Tim Grice and he strode forward to slot it past Tom Stewart for his 20th goal of the season and his eighth in the last nine games.
Stewart made a good save to deny Reeves at 1-0, but Ramsbottom drew level in the 27th minute when Jack Grimshaw volleyed past Danny Roberts from a Domain Rouse cross.
Leek were awarded a penalty in the 36th minute when Reeves was tripped in the area by Seydou Bamba. Grice took the spot-kick, but Stewart pulled off a good save.
The visitors almost went in front just before half-time when Billy Hasler-gregg had a shot cleared off the line.
The second half was a tight affair until Leek scored their winner in the 77th minute.
Lewis Short had a shot parried by Stewart, but the ball deflected off a defender back to Short and he tapped home from close range.
The result moves Leek up to third place, just three points behind the leaders Warrington Rylands, ahead of their big home game against second-placed Workington next Saturday.
The victory would have been made more comfortable had the Blues not been wasteful with their opportunities, particularly in the first half.
On a chilly March afternoon another good crowd of 501 held an impeccable minute’s silence to remember former Blues centre half Frank Sromek, who had sadly passed away recently, before seeing an unchanged line up get off to a promising start with the front line of Grice, Saxon and Rob Stevenson putting the Rams defence under early pressure.
This reaped its rewards in the 12th minute when a high press allowed Billy Reeves to block a Rams pass and the ball rebounded kindly into the path of Grice, who held off his marker and placed a low effort in off the far post.
At this stage, with Blues on top, an assured win looked on the cards, and it should have been 2-0 on 21 minutes when Stevenson volleyed a sweet left-foot cross squarely into the box and Saxon ran onto it about eight yards out. But instead of hitting it first time, he chose to take a touch and that allowed keeper Tom Stewart that extra split second to get forward and block the effort with a great point blank save.
It was to be a missed chance that Leek would rue as they allowed the visitors back into the game on 27 minutes.
A little bit of sloppiness had already started to creep into the Blues passing game just beforehand and it was Olly Harrison who was the culprit on this occasion as he gave the ball away when trying to pass out from the back and
Ramsbottom worked the ball on their left before a cross delivered to the far post found Jack Grimshaw who had time to chest the ball down and volley it past Danny Roberts to make it 1-1.
The goal clearly stunned Leek who became more ragged and encouraged the visitors who sensed they might get something out of the game, but on 35 minutes Saxon was upended in the box by Seydou Bamba and the Blues had the perfect chance to regain control of the match as the referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot.
However, Grice failed to get his, and Leek’s, second goal of the game as he saw Stewart dive low to his right and save his penalty kick.
Then just two minutes later, Grice did get an effort beyond Stewart but it lacked pace and was cleared off the line as the chances for a first half hat trick came and went for the striker.
On the run up to half time, the sloppiness returned and the Blues were fortunate to go into the break level. Roberts, in trying to return a back pass to Josh Ryder, played the ball straight to the feet of Rams centre forward John Murphy.
Roberts redeemed himself with a fine save from Murphy’s well-struck effort and then Harrison also atoned for his earlier error with a crucial goal line block from Billy Haslercreggs follow up.
The start of the second mirrored that of the first with Leek immediately pushing
forward and Grice should have put his side ahead on 48 minute when a pinpoint Ross Davidson cross from the left found the striker unmarked six yards out, centre of the goal, but his header was poor and straight at Stewart.
It was to be the only clear chance from open play that the Blues would fashion for the remainder of the half, until Short’s goal, as their passing game again became disjointed, and the only threat they posed for the visitors was from corners as both Harrison and Scott Wara won headers but couldn’t keep them down and on target.
Despite their valiant efforts, Reeves and Davidson were outnumbered in midfield with Ramsbottom seemingly first to every second ball.
Blues boss Neil Baker made a change to rectify the situation, bringing on Short for Ryder and going to a flat back four.
Not long after, he made a second substitution, withdrawing Saxon and throwing Ammar Dyer into the fray. And as has happened in the past couple of matches, the substitutions turned out to be inspired ones, and the decisive goal came on 77 minutes.
Dyer started the move, breaking forward from midfield, and he slipped the ball to Grice just outside the right edge of the penalty area. He immediately helped it on inside to the charging Davidson. Davidson’s strong low shot was well parried by
Stewart in between a couple of Ramsbottom defenders who got in a bit of a mess trying to clear the loose ball and Short was on hand to apply a close finish to put Leek 2-1 up much to the relief of the majority of those watching.
The goal seemed to deflate Ramsbottom, who had defended resolutely up to this point and they were unable to fashion a response with their cause not helped by the loss of Bamba with a hamstring injury meaning they had to finish the game with 10 men having used all of their substitutions.
Grice had a late chance when played through on 91 mintes but Stewart capped a fine match for him personally as he was able to save with his legs.
Leek moved above Marine into third place as a result of the win and this sets up a crucial and potential humdinger of a game looms this weekend as second-placed Workington come to Harrison Park.
The Blues know a vastly improved performance will be required against the Cumbrians and Baker will no doubt muse on whether the extra midfield assistance afforded to Reeves and Davidson may be needed in such a game.
BLUES: Roberts, Bavanganga, Keenan, Davidson, Harrison, Ryder (Short 61), Wara, Reeves, Grice, Saxon (Dyer 75), Stevenson (Glover 85). Subs not used: Booth, Lake
ATTENDANCE: 501