BAKER INSISTS LEEK WILL MAINTAIN THE PRESSURE ON MACC
David
LEEK Town will not give up trying to chase down title favourites Macclesfield as they seek promotion at the sixth time of asking.
The Blues are second in Northern Premier League West after Saturday’s 2-1 come-frombehind victory at Witton Albion.
In the past three campaigns, the Moorlanders have twice missed out on promotion due to the covid pandemic, and last season they lost in the play-off final, a fate which also befell them in 2018/19, while the previous season to that, they finished just three points outside the top six.
Less than 15 miles up the road, Macclesfield are just as ambitious, gunning for a second successive promotion. The phoenix club are four points clear at the top of the table, but that was clearly not enough for their board - which includes former Wales international Robbie Savage - as they parted ways with club legend Danny Whittaker last week and have now appointed David Mcnabb in his place.
But Leek boss Neil Baker says his side still believe they can catch the Silkmen.
“If we didn’t think that, we wouldn’t be here,” he told Staffordshire Moorlands Radio. “That’s what we’ve got to aim for and that’s why we’ve got to keep winning football matches, because we don’t expect Macclesfield to lose too many.
“We’ve got to stick at it, stay up there, win games by hook or by crook, and hopefully it’s enough to catch Macclesfield.”
In Saturday’s game, the Blues had to battle back from a poor first-half performance to extend their unbeaten run to 14 games. Witton began the game well and Joe Duckworth had a goal disallowed for offside before they took a 23rd-minute lead through Jordan Barrow.
The Blues thought they had drawn level before half time but Tim Grice’s conversion from a Tom Carr cross was disallowed for handball, even though it appeared to go in off his chest.
They only had to wait until two minutes into the second half to score a goal that did count. Jessy Bavanganga sent over a cross from the right and Grice flicked it past Ollie Martin for his fifth goal in six games.
Leek then began to take over proceedings and they went in front in the 67th minute. Louis Keenan curled over an inswinging corner and Ollie Harrison powered a header into the net.
The Blues then comfortably held on to remain in second place and to continue their unbeaten record on the road since April.
“It was a battling performance, particularly in the second half,” added Baker.
“In the first half, Witton did a right good job on us, and we weren’t good enough to do much about it. We got pushed back, made poor decisions.
“They were terrific in the first half.
“They were as good as we’ve played - they’ve got some good players, and if you’re not at it, that can happen.”
Baker, pictured, replaced Scott Wara and Tom Carr at the break, and admitted he could have made the changes earlier.
On Wara, Baker said: “Something got in his head - he wasn’t reliable, he wasn’t making good decisions, he was off the pace.
“I nearly made the changes early, but I’m reluctant to do that because it shows your hand.
“I don’t think any of the front three got enough of the ball. Rob Stevenson – our most dangerous player – went 20 minutes without touching the ball. That’s not his fault, it was our distribution from the back.
“I couldn’t knock the forwards but I had to try something different. But it’s nothing to do with me, it’s the players who make it work. We made the changes and they did it.”
Harrison’s winner marked a welcome return to form for the centre-half, who has struggled since a bad head injury.
Baker said: “I asked the pair of them (centre-halves) before the game ‘any chance of you getting me a goal?’ and I nearly offered them a bonus but the chairman was sneaking up on me!
“He (Harrison) hasn’t been great in both boxes in the past few games, but that was a bullet header from a great delivery.
“He showed some real determination. It was only a month ago he got a bad head injury, and he hasn’t been the same since then, but he won that one and he won us the game.”
Leek have brought in former Stoke City youngster Tom Thorley to bolster their squad after losing a few of their fringe players, and Baker says he has not been signed just to warm the bench.
He added: “We heard he might be available and we needed strength in that area. He’s going to improve our team - or else we wouldn’t have brought him in.”
After three successive away games - and three successive wins - Leek return to Harrison Park this weekend to take on Clitheroe.
Baker said: “They’ve been good at home, our fans, and if we can get a few more of them, that would be great.
“Our performances in the past couple of games haven’t been terrific but we’ve come to two difficult places and got six points and it’ll be nice to play in front of 700 to 750.”