VICTORY PROVES NOT ENOUGH

A 2-0 victory over Stocksbridge on the final day was not enough for Blues to claim the final promotion play-off place.

Neil Baker's side needed a two goal winning margin but also required Stamford to lose to Cleethorpes. However the Daniels won their game 1-0 after Clee missed a penalty that would have given them a second half lead.

Leek started brightly and Tim Grice had a couple of efforts go just wide and Rob Stevenson saw one shot pushed away by the keeper and another flash across goal all inside the first 25 minutes.

Chances became more scarce after that and the sides went in goalless at half-time with Danny Roberts having little to do in the Blues goal.

Within two minutes of the restart, Grice had put Leek ahead when he was played in and he slipped the ball past the goalkeeper.

Grice took a nasty bang on the head after 65 minutes and was replaced by Sam Grimshaw, who within a minute found the back of the net.

Niall Maguire strode forward with the ball and found Grimshaw who hit a low curling shot into the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the box.

However, by now the news of Stamford's goal had filtered through and the excitement was rather taken out of the game which Blues saw out comfortably to win 2-0.

Team: Roberts, Lemon, Richards, Green, Lycett, Chadwick, Maguire, Hall, Grice (Grimshaw, 65), Trickett-Smith (Kearns, 85), Stevenson

Unused sub: Bavanganga

Attendance: 314

Man of the Match: Niall Green

Match Sponsor: Nigel Thomas

Photos courtesy of Chris Hollingworth