LEIGHTON TOWN 3 - 1 CHERTSEY TOWN

LEIGHTON TOWN 3 - 1 CHERTSEY TOWN
Town returned to League action after a gap of three weeks and secured all the points after three first half goals effectively killed off the visitors hopes of taking anything from this game. Town’s first half performance was particularly impressive but maybe due to the three week bad weather break they were unable to maintain the pace and intensity after the interval and the visitors secured a consolation goal from the penalty spot to stop town keeping a clean sheet.
Manager, Craig Wells recalled goalkeeper, Kevin Marsh after missing the last two games and new signing Lawrence Bunker was included amongst the substitutes.
Town started at high tempo and the visitor’s keeper was called into early action as he blocked one Town effort at the expense of a corner. Town fans did not have to wait too long for the opening goal and in the 4thminute Norris in the Chertsey goal failed to hold the ball and Layne Eadie making his home debut was on hand to fire the loose ball into the net. Town fans were happy with the bright opening and they had even more to cheer them just two minutes later when Lewis McBride’ s superb cross was met by the unmarked Ben Gallant’s header for an easy second goal. Town were well on top playing some excellent passing football on a very difficult pitch which had been saturated by heavy rain from about an hour before the game. Leighton added a third goal in the 29th minute when Ben Gallant calmly curled the ball around the keeper and into the bottom left hand corner of the net after being set clear by a Shane Hill pass. At this stage of the game it looked as if Town could easily reverse the 5-0 loss they suffered at Chertsey earlier in the season as they dominated proceedings and left Kevin Marsh a virtual spectator.
The pace of the game was noticeably slower in the second half and Chertsey were more involved in the game but Town could easily have gone further ahead in the 56th minute when Layne Eadie ran onto an Enzo Silvestri free kick rounded the keeper but the fired well wide of the unguarded goal when a fourth Town goal looked probable. Two minutes after this Lewis McBride had to leave the field with an injury after a very impressive display. In the 60th minute Jack Copson replaced Eadie who looked tired after making an effective debut. Within 5 minutes of the last substitution the visitors were awarded a penalty after a Copson challenge on the corner of the penalty area was adjudged to be a foul by the referee. The penalty was coolly slotted home with Marsh diving in the opposite direction. In the 73rdminute Jake Bewley who had been moved forward into midfield when Eadie was substituted ran past his marker but then put hi shot wide of the near post with Leighton players waiting in front of goal for the cross. Any hope Chertsey had off getting anything from the game disappeared in the 80th minute when Pomroy was sent off for a stupid and pointless second yellow card after handling a Leighton free kick. Then the visitor’s keeper Norris had to leave the pitch after sustaining an ankle injury after a Leighton corner. His replacement Mark Shipperley had only been on the field for 4 minutes when he was injured following a tackle by Jake Bewley. Unfortunately the young keeper had to leave the field on a stretcher with a bad ankle injury. The referee, after consultation with his assistant, ruled Bewley’s challenge to be serious foul play and the young player was shown the dreaded ‘red card’.
Town saw out the remaining couple of minutes and secured three welcome points in the fight against relegation. Despite a better showing from Chertsey in the second half, Town were never seriously troubled and in fact neither keeper had much to do in a second half that at times seemed to be going through the motions and suffered by comparison with the high tempo first 45 minutes. This was a good all round Leighton display and even on a tricky playing surface they moved the ball with precision and pace and it would not have flattered them if they had been 5 goals in front at the interval. Town now face a difficult fixture against Uxbridge at home on Tuesday night, ko 7:45.
Team: 1.Marsh, 2.Maltay, 3.Bewley, 4.Cunningham, 5.Deaton, 6. Hill, 7. McBride( Bunker 58) 8.Silvestri, 9. Gallant, 10.Hanley, 11.Eadie(Copson 60). SUBS: GK. Dodge, 12. Bunker, 14. Simpson, 15.Copson, 16.Bather. Attendance: 111
Fixtures:
Tuesday 21stb February ko 7:45 Leighton Town v Uxbridge Southern League
Wed. 22nd Feb. 7:45 Leighton Reserves v Tring Athletic Suburban League
Sat 25th FEB 3pm Leighton Town v Marlow Southern League
Sat.3rd March 3pm Leighton Town v St. Neots Southern League
Tues. 6th March 3pm Leighton Town v Aylesbury Southern League