Leek Town returned to form with a strong performance against promotion rivals Clitheroe and deservedly left Shawbridge with all 3 points. A cagey first half livened up midway through, in a strange passage of play home captain Lee Pugh had to leave the pitch with an arm injury and a couple of passes later Clitheroe keeper Hakan Burton conceded a penalty. He saved Trickett-Smith’s spotkick and soon after Sefton Gonzales saw a fierce drive saved by Leek’s debutant keeper Dino Visser. Burton then repeated his full length diving save to deny the visitors a half time lead.

Clitheroe failed to raise their game after the interval and Leek looked the more likely to break the deadlock. They did so on 57 minutes when a pass across the area was stroked home by Marc Grocott. They doubled the lead on 62 minutes when Rob Stevenson slotted home from close range and put the game beyond Clitheroe’s reach with a third goal from Thomas Carr after 77 minutes. The home side struggled to find a way past Leek’s stubborn defence though a fine left wing cross from Darren Holden found an on-rushing Sefton Gonzales at the far post but he couldn’t keep his effort down and it sailed high the wrong side of the post.

Leek comfortably saw out the remaining minutes and managed a fourth goal on 89 minutes when sub Aaron Opoku was able to run on to a cross field pass and lashed the ball home in front of the joyous visiting fans. Sefton Gonzales scored a consolation goal for Clitheroe in the 90th minute and went agonisingly close with a header in added time but this was a performance that Clitheroe will want to forget quickly.

Team:- Burton, Hanson, Pugh, Howarth, Lancaster, Hall, Rouse, Wilkins, Gonzales, Dent, Veron.