Old Boys fail to Cope at home as Redgate showcase quality
NEW Leek CSOB manager Dan Cope saw his side suffer a heavy defeat as they went down 8-1 at home to Redgate Clayton in their Premier Division meeting.
With previous manager Kielan Bond leaving, several of his experienced squad were unavailable for this encounter which saw Dan Dawson’s Newcastle-based side sixup at half-time.
Gate skipper Richard Leech netted a brace either side a Harry Baggaley goal on 14 minutes with midfielder Mike Mackintosh adding a brace in the 30th and 33rd minutes with Sam Finney making it six just four minutes later.
In the second half Elisio Francisco and Louis Downs added two more for Redgate with an own goal registering the only meaningful score to Old Boys.
Kieran Mear’s AFC Alsager slipped from the summit of the Premier Division table, relinquishing top spot to Redgate Clayton.
The South Cheshire Swans were tamed by the Romans of Rocester at the Alsager Sports Hub where the points were shared after a 3-3 draw.
The hosts held a half-time advantage through a 17th-minute Nathan Barry effort, but 10 minutes into the second half, seasoned goal machine Mark Grice equalised for the Romans.
On the hour mark, Jordan Dodd doubled the visitors advantage only to see it cancelled out five minutes later when Fin Pattison levelled for the Tangerines.
Nathan Barry then put Alsager back in front on 68 minutes only to see that advantage blown away when Ashley Elliot popped up with another equaliser for Rocester.
An 85th-minute Callum Middleton goal calmed the nerves of the Kidsgrove Athletic faithful when his solitary strike was enough to ease out the vastly improved Silverdale Athletic outfit.
Fourth-placed Foley Meir broke the hearts of hosts Milton United when a Tristan Barker goal in the final minute sealed the points for his side in a 3-2 away win at the Hardman Centre.
Foley skipper Tom Wakefield put the visitors ahead in the 27th minute with Josh Bowden adding a second on the stroke of half-time.
The second half saw Dave Ottley’s Milton fight their way back into the game with a Mitch Finney goal and a Cameron Waltho penalty.
Foley manager Sam Golden then lost the use of Bowden after the player was dismissed, but had substitute Barker to thank for the allimportant winner.
Sam Mellor and Charlie Jessup were on target for hosts Brereton Social as they eased past Dave Bailey’s Ball Haye Green 2-1 at the Red Lion Ground in Rugeley.
Kallan Humphries Shutt notched the only goal for the Leek-based outfit.
Matty Ainger’s Brereton moved up to fifth in the table, leapfrogging Silverdale.
Chris Holmes’ mid-table Madeley White Star side were held at Manor Road where bottom-of-the-table visitors FC41 shared the points after a 1-1 draw.
Alexion Southwick-williams scored for the hosts, while Charlie Hyatt netted for the Milton-based visitors.
Joe Speck scored an injury-time equaliser for Lichfield City against former champions Wolstanton who had gone ahead at the Trade Tyre Stadium in the 17th minute through an Archie Ellams goal.
Wolstanton remain in eighth position, but have a massive nine games in hand over teams higher in the table.
In Division One, Leek Town Development came from a goal down to record a 3-1 home victory over Foley Meir 433.
Kyle Bailey hit a brace, while Oliver Bavington added another in the win, which puts them in second place and just a point behind leaders AFC Crewe.
Florence came out of the blocks quickly, racing into a 3-0 lead within the first six minutes of their match against Brereton Social.
James Miller netted all three, but an own goal and a converted Jack Turner penalty saw Brereton narrow the gap to 3-2 at half-time.
An equaliser then saw Brererton back on level terms. Yet another own goal saw Brereton take the lead for the first time and a Will Benton stunner in added time saw Brereton take all the points safely back to Rugeley.
Stafford Town recorded a fine 3-1 away victory at Keele University.
Ashley Plant bagged a brace and another from Daniel Rotherham did the damage for the team from the county town, while Jai Banga netted for the students late on.
In the second round of the Leek Cup, AFC Crewe ran out 4-1 winners at FC Hanley.
From the start, the South Cheshire side looked the hungrier creating chances down the flanks, but in the 10th minute a move down the right saw Michael Sarpong tap in from close range.
Six minutes later Brandon Mighten made it two and ten minutes later the same player fired home Crewe’s third.
Several changes were made by the hosts FC Hanley and in the 70th minute Ben Blowers pulled a goal back, but only to see that thwarted on 78 minutes when Olly Wilson fired home a fourth for Gary Taylorfletcher’s side to see them through.
In the early stages of the Macron Cup, hosts Warstones Wanderers beat visitors Eastwood Hanley 4-0 at Codsall Community High School, while Cresswell Wanders and Cheadle Town played out a scoreless draw at the 5’s Pavilion Sports Ground in Cannock.
In Division Two North, Florence Reserves travelled to Trentmill Road and returned home with all three points after recording a narrow 2-1 victory over hosts Eastwood Hanley Reserves, while Leek CSOB Reserves shared the spoils with Keele University Reserves in a 1-1 draw.
Division Two South table-toppers Cannock Dynamos had Joe Watson to thank for his eighth-minute strike which was enough to give his side a 1-0 win over Stone Dominoes at Wellbeing Park.
Cresswell Wanderers, sitting in second place in the standings, smashed six past Stone Athletic without reply at 5’s Pavilion Sports Ground.
Noah Surrell scored two with other strikes on target coming from Ashley Carroll. James Phillips, Sameer Mohammed and Nathan Saunders.
Newhall United travelled into Burton and defeated hosts AFC Real Medina 3-0 to remain in third spot, while fourth-placed Albrighton edged out Three Spires United 2-1 at Loak Road.