Match Report  |  Leek Town vs Gresley FC

Gresley's poor away form continued as they failed to claim any away league points again. While their home form is good Gresley have now seen no away points since early November when they beat Sutton Coldfield Town.

With Gresley thumping high-flying Leek at the Moat Ground just over a month ago it was expected that the home side would be looking for revenge but for the first half Gresley gave as good as they got and went close to getting on the score sheet themselves. However, two sloppy goals in the second half condemned Gresley to their tenth defeat on the road.

Manager Martin Rowe once more had to make changes to his side as Kieran O'Connell reported a slight injury meaning he was given a place on the bench. Midfielder Jack Langston was out with a foot injury but Liam Guest was back at centre half alongside Marc Strzyzewski meaning Jamie Barrett was pushed up into midfield.

On a very poor surface pockmarked with small mounds of sand all over the pitch any chance of playing football on the ground was virtually impossible. As was seen at the Moat Leek used their usual high long ball to good effect and should have taken an early lead as John Johnston beat the Gresley back line only to blaze his shot well over the bar with on the keeper Mats Morch to beat.

The visitors came back strongly and went close to taking the lead when Guest got his head to Paolo Piliero's corner from the right only to see his effort cleared off the line.

Two minutes later another corner by Piliero, from the left, almost paid dividends but this time it was John Guy who saw his header cleared off the line.

A spell of Gresley pressure was broken up by a quick break and it needed a fine save from Morch to push the low shot from Andy Kinsey away for a corner.

Two minutes later Morch again kept his side in the game making another fine save tipping Dan Shelley's shot over the bar.

Gresley were caught cold early in the second half. After conceding a needless free kick Shelley drilled a low ball to the unmarked Kinsey who side footed his shot past Morch from close in.

Morch was called upon to keep his side in the game again just minutes later. A corner by Johnson was played to Shelley whose deflected shot was brilliantly blocked by Morch. The Gresley keeper then reacted superbly getting to his feet very quickly to then block Johnson's follow up shot from the rebound.

Gresley had failed to test Town's keeper Ben Chapman so far in the second half but on the hour mark Mitch Hanson went close planting his header from Piliero's corner narrowly past the far post.

Morch once more denied Leek from extending their lead when he made another good save from Johnson deflected shot.

Another quick break from Town went close to adding to their lead but Johnston could only fire wide of the target. They didn't have long to wait for a goal but this one was handed to them by Morch, who up until then had been having arguably his best game for Gresley.

A ball was played back to the keeper who dwelt far too long in his area and Shelley was able to rob him of the ball before skipping around Morch and slotting the ball into the net despite the desperate attempt of Guest to try and clear the danger.

Leek should have added a third goal at the end of the game. Shelley threaded a ball down the right to Kinsey who somehow managed to fire his shot from close in high over the bar with only the keeper to beat.