Leighton started brightly and Leverstock’s Curtis Bird was booked in the third minute for a deliberate handball on the edge of the penalty area, which prevented Smith from profiting from Marsala’s intelligently guided header.

It wasn’t long however, before Town were ahead. Mc Bride’s superbly delivered corner found Hatch and his towering header crashed into the top corner to give Leighton a deserved lead.

Town should have been further ahead by half time as the talented trio of Mc Bride, Marsala and O’Brien began to take control of the game.

On seventeen minutes, O’Brien’s fierce drive was acrobatically tipped over the bar by the impressive Creamer in the Leverstock goal.

Pursey also went close for Town when his neat interplay with Smith provided him with the opportunity to shoot from the edge of the box. Frustratingly for Town his curling shot took a deflection and whistled past the far post.

Leverstock’s front men Bateman and Tunbridge had their moments too as the first half progressed but Hatch and Guiney were once again outstanding at the back for Leighton, making timely blocks and challenges that nullified the opposition’s attempts to get back on level terms.

In the final stages of an entertaining first half, O’Brien, Smith and Marsala were all once again denied by some excellent goalkeeping by Creamer, after some intricate and flowing football by the home team.

Leighton started the second half with real intensity and tempo. Following a flowing move involving Mc Bride and the industrious Tappin, the latter released the overlapping Matt Hall with a precision pass and his fierce cross was turned into the visitor's net by a recovering defender, to extend Town’s lead.

The lively Smith continued to cause the visitors huge problems all afternoon with his pace and aggression and in the 50th minute he dispossessed Wood forcing Creamer into another fine save. The young Leighton striker could have had a hat-trick but for the excellence of Creamer, as O’Brien, Mc Bride and Marsala created a plethora of chances with their intelligent passing and movement which is becoming a real feature of Town’s increasingly attractive brand of football.

Marsh replaced Pursey in the 60th minute and he provided much needed energy to the Leighton cause as the second half progressed.

Towell replaced the excellent Murphy on 70 minutes and after a nasty clash, Mc Bride limped off in the 80th minute to huge applause from the Leighton faithful. The popular wing man, much missed this season due to injury, had an excellent game and was replaced by young Kai Ashley.

As the game went into the closing minutes O’Brien was released by an excellent pass from Marsh but his ferocious strike took a deflection and screwed to safety just past the Leverstock post.

There was still time however, for Town keeper Wyant to show his speed out of his box to counter a dangerous through ball and to pull off a fine save from a Bateman header in the last minute.

This was a good team performance by Town and as the squad gets ever stronger, competition for places can only improve their prospects, as they continue to battle to place themselves in the leading pack at the top of the South Midlands Premier League table.

Next Saturday they return to league action when they entertain Edgeware Town at Bell Close, 3-00 pm kick-off.

Match Report by

Sean Downey