Leighton crash to second home defeat

Leighton ended their week on a low note after Ashford Town secured a late winner to consign Town to a second successive home defeat. Town never got to grips with the game in the first half but they gave a greatly improved performance in the second half and could have secured all three points with a little more luck in front of goal.
Leighton were without striker James Hatch and he was replaced in attack by Bilal Hassan, midfielder Lewis McBride was still missing through injury. Town’s problems started as early as the 4th minute when Sam Scott injured a hamstring and had to be replaced by Jake Bewley. Ashford looked the livelier side in the early minutes and took the lead in the 10th minute when they were awarded a free kick on the right after a foul by Sam Chapman. Town defended poorly from the free kick and Mullan powered in a header to give the visitors the lead. Three minutes after the goal, Joe Cox in the Town goal was forced to make a good save before Jack Copson cleared the loose ball. In the 21st minute in a rare Town foray Ben Gallant‘s shot required Windegaard in the visitors goal to make a good save low to his right. Three minutes after this Jack Copson fired in a fierce swerving shot but again the keeper was equal to the task with a good low save. The visitors deservedly increased their lead in the 30th when they awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area. Bitmead curled an excellent shot inside the near post and at this point it looked as if Leighton would do well to even get back on level terms. Town replied with a good effort by Ben Gallant after the striker had created a chance for himself and just before the break the striker fired high over the bar in another Leighton attack.
Manager Sean Downey must have given his feelings full vent at half time as his team started at a much better tempo in the second half and in the 59th minute a Town free kick flashed across the face of the goal before an Ashford defender got a vital touch to clear the ball. From the resulting throw in Stuart Deaton’s back header was easily caught by the Ashford keeper. A couple of minutes after this Jake Bewley shot way over from a reasonable position.
Town got themselves back in the game when Stuart Deaton cleverly lobbed the ball over the keeper after a miskick by one of the Ashford defenders following a good spell of Town pressure. Five minutes later Town were on level terms when Ben Gallant competed for an excellent cross by Neil Lazarus, the ball fell loose off the Town striker but he responded quickly to prod the ball home. Town were looking the better team at this stage of the game and in the 74th minute Gallant was on target but his shot lacked power. In the 75th minute Town looked as if they would take the lead d when Ben Gallant after some excellent work laid the ball off to Neil Lazarus and his cross from the right went across the face of goal but Jack Copson at the far post attempted a low headed effort from close range but the ball went wide of the post. The game got a little scrappy after this as both sides tried to gain the ascendancy but when Ashford were awarded a free kick on their left the ball was fired towards goal and Brown met the ball with a glancing header which ended in the Town net.
In the dying minutes Leighton went close to earning a deserved point when BIlal Hassan headed against the post after the keeper had got a hand to Andre Maltay’s shot as Town surged forward in an attempt to salvage something from the game.
Despite their poor showing in the first half Leighton can take some encouragement from their spirited second half display but defensive errors again cost them dearly.
TEAM: Cox, Maltay, Scott(Bewley 4), Chapman, Deaton, Fryer(Bush65),Lazarus, Hanley, Gallant, Hassan, Copson. Subs(unused). ; McBride, Cunningham, McNulty. Att:104