Leighton's late leveller wins them a point

Leighton‘s night did not start well and they had to change their intended side before the game due to the late arrivals of Gary Ridgway and Tyrone Taylor.

The playing surface was very hard and bumpy and was bound to make control on the night something of a lottery and would obviously dictate the type of football.

Playing down the slope in the first half Town looked the more lively of the two sides and in the 16th minute Danny Watson cleverly played a pass into Aaron Morgan but with only the keeper to beat his left footed effort lacked the required power and Pal in the home goal saved with an outstretched left leg, Danny Watson put his follow up shot over the bar.

Town created another decent chance after 30 minutes when Watson passed the ball across the penalty area to Michael Lyon but his well struck shot hit the side netting. Leighton kept up the pressure and a couple of minutes after this Phil Draycott put an effort high over the bar.

The hosts stared the second half on the front foot but despite having plenty of possession they could not find a way past the Town defence. Both sides were struggling to build any worthwhile attacking moves and the game became very scrappy with possession frequently changing between the teams.

The longer the game went on the more it looked as if one goal would win the points and in the 75th minute Leighton won a free kick and Phil Draycott’s free kick drew a good save from the keeper. Greenford broke away quickly and played a long ball through the Town defence and substitute Kouadja raced after the ball drove it past Oualah to give the home side the lead.

It certainly looked as if this would earn the hosts all the points but Leighton to their credit never gave up and in the 90th minute Watson’s shot was only partially saved and Draycott drove home an equaliser from close range to ensure a share ofv the points.

Team: Oualah, Bunker, Crook, Goodman. Rajaram, Murphy, M. Lyon, Morgan. Lobjoit, Watson, Draycott.

Subs;:Ridgway (Crook), Taylor( Murphy) Farmer (Lyon)

Att. 44

By Roy Parker