Leighton Town 4 - Woodford 4

This was a game that Town will consider they should have won after being ahead until the 80th minute. It was definitely a case of two points lost and not one gained and Manager, Sean Downey will have a few more grey hairs to count after his team’s performance on Saturday. Town at times played some excellent football but defensive errors stopped them winning a game that in the early stages looked like it might be won at a canter.
Town were again without James Hatch and injuries meant that Sam Scott and Charlie Cunningham were also absent. Good news for Town was that Lewis McBride was able to start for the first time after his recent injury.
Town started in lively fashion and in the 2nd minute Bilal Hassan raced past the full back and his excellent cross was headed home by Neil Lazarus. Woodford had hardly got over the early shock when Town scored their second. A long throw by Hassan was headed on by Stuart Deaton beyond the far post and Grant Fryer drove the ball into the net from a difficult angle. Town very nearly added a third after Lazarus chased a through pass but under pressure from a defender shot just wide of the near post.
Town were looking lively but their first setback came in the 11minute, Woodford were awarded a corner on the right and Joe Cox missed his punch and the ball hit Johnson and went straight into the net without the Woodford player knowing what had happened. Town were still in the ascendancy and in the 19th minute Stuart Deaton was just inches short of making full contact with a Jake Bewley free kick. Town’s injury problems however caught up with them again when Neil Lazarus had to leave the field to be replaced by Kyle McNulty. In the 24th minute another Bewley free kick went right across the face of the visitors goal but no one from Leighton was near to getting a touch on the ball. In the 32nd minute Hassan raced past the full back but his cross was headed behind for a corner. From the corner kick Stuart Deaton headed the ball back across goal and Grant Fryer and Bilal Hassan both jumped with the keeper and Hassan got the final touch to restore Town’s two goal lead. In the 44th minute Woodford won a free kick in a central position and when the ball was played into the penalty area Jackson headed firmly into the net to reduce the lead tom a single goal.
Town made a good start to the second half and McNulty scored his first Town goal in the 50th minute when McNulty ran onto a pass from Maltay and lashed the ball beyond the keeper to restore the two goal cushion. In the 58th minute Hassan under pressure at the far post shot narrowly wide after a deep cross from Bewley. Woodford were more in the game and in the 68th minute following a horrendous mix up between Cox and Maltay the ball ended up at the feet of Hawkins outside the box and he clipped the ball home via the crossbar. A couple of minutes after this Town produced a good five man move down their right flank before Ben gallant’s low cross was cleared by a defender. Woodford were now looking the stronger team and in the 80th minute they scored following a free kick when Hill headed home from about 8 yards. Town could not get back into the game and score a winner and their problems got worse in the first minute of injury time when Jake Bewley was harshly shown the ‘red card’ following a challenge on the Woodford captain.
Town will be disappointed to only earn one point from this game and at times they played some excellent football but mistakes cost them dearly on the day.
Town were playing at Biggleswade Town yesterday and they now have to entertain Uxbridge in the FA Cup next Saturday hoping for a slice of luck to get them back on the winning track.
Team: Cox, Maltay, Bewley, Fryer, Chapman, Deaton, Lazarus(McNulty 19), Hanley, Gallant, Hassan, McBride.
Subs; 12-Higgins, 17-Ambler(GK), 14-Copson, 15-Slatter, 16-McNulty.
Att:70