Town Make It 3 Wins In A Week

Leighton Town 4-1 Harpenden Town

Newly promoted Harpenden Town were the visitors and they themselves had enjoyed a fruitful start to the Premier Division campaign sitting in 5th before today’s fixture.

The inform visitors started brightly with a couple of half chances, Steve O’Reilly skewed a shot wide from just outside the area and striker James Lewington had a tame flick on saved easily by Town keeper Tom Wyant.

It was Town who had the games first major chance with Tom Bryant winning a penalty. He was in on goal at an acute angle with no real danger of scoring but Connor Sanson rushed out of his box and tripped Bryant and Sansom was booked for his troubles. Dom Marsala stepped up to take the pen and although Sansom guessed the right way Marsala duly tucked it away in the bottom left corner to make it 1-0 in the 13th minute.

Tom Wyant has adjusted well to life in a Leighton Town shirt and came out of his area well to punch away a Dave Keenleyside corner. Town on the other were looking to build on their lead and their biggest assest to this was on the counter attack. Marsala linking up nicely with Alex O’Brien and Lorrell Smith before his shot was saved.

The visitors were also looking lively on the counter attack with Kyle Mcleish bearing in on goal but again Wyant was more than equal to it to claim.

Leighton were having the better of the opportunities though and Alex O’Brien had a shot blocked for a corner after good work from Bryant. Not long after this Town got their second of the game. It came from more counter attacking football and ended with O’Brien being fouled on the edge of the box.

Town got the free kick and O’Brien stepped up and stuck it in the top right corner with a stunning finish, it was a case of placement over power and Sanson had absolutely no chance to get near what was a fabulous finish on the 33rd minute.

O’Brien then followed this up with his second and Leighton’s third just six minutes later. O’Brien had a Harpenden defender around him trying to foul him but he shrugged off the challenge to round the keeper and slot it home.

Harpenden had the ball in the net just before half time but the referee adjudged it to be to offside and 3-0 it remained going into the second half.

The visitors started the second half well and had a free header from a corner glance just over. Harpenden were at their most threatening through set pieces and Keenleyside found Ben Warren but Luke Marsh put his body across well to put him off and put his header wide.

Leighton were still pushing for more goals and had a variety of good opportunities. A great cross-field ball found its way to Marsala who played in O’Brien who laid it back to Jakk Pursey but he dragged his shot wide. Then it was O’Brien with Leighton’s next effort. He had 2 defenders surrounding him he bared down on goal and did well to get a shot away.

Harpenden did eventually get on the scoresheet on the 73rd minute after a lovely cross Wyant got a touch on it but couldn’t prevent Harpenden getting a tap in moments later.

The 2 goal deficit didn’t last for long as Leighton got a fourth a minute later. Lorrell Smith countered after the ball was played into him and he trickled it past Sanson with an assured finish.

Leighton were still looking for more goals to add to their ever-growing collection and could’ve had a fifth but Pursey had his shot cleared off the line.

4-1 it finished and all in all it was a very assured victory for Leighton who move up to third after todays win. Town look like they’re really enjoying their football at the moment and travel to Risborough Rangers on Tuesday night before returning to Bell Close next Saturday for the visit of Brimscombe and Thrupp in the FA Vase.

Team: Wyant, Towell, Hall, Pursey, Condon, Guiney, Marsala ©, Marsh, Smith, O’Brien, Bryant

Report by

James D'Arcy