CALVELEY CRACKER SETS UP TROPHY TRIUMPH

Blues progressed into the next round of the FA Trophy with their most convincing win of the season beating Lincoln United 4-1 at Harrison Park.

Neil Baker made two changes to the side that lost at Bedworth on Tuesday with Mike Calveley and Rob Stevenson replacing the injured Kyle Blake and unavailable Niall Maguire.

Leek were first to show when Dan Trickett-Smith forced a fine save from Lincoln keeper Sam Vince in the 13th minute.

There was nothing Vince could do in the 20th minute though, when Stevenson played the ball across to Calveley, who unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner from 25 yards out.

The visitors did not really threaten until the final minutes of the half when Ben Chapman had to block an effort from Conner Robinson. Lincoln then had a number of shots charged down as the ball pinged around the Leek box.

Lincoln upped the pressure after the break, but Blues were looking threatening on the break and Jordan Johnson saw his shot saved by Vince in the 64th minute when clean through on goal.

However when the scenario repeated itself five minutes later, Johnson made no mistake slipping the ball past the keeper into the net.

Lincoln pushed to get back in the game and hit the top of the crossbar on 73 minutes with a curling effort.

A minute later Tim Grice's shot produced a full-length diving stop from Vince but when Trickett-Smith netted the rebound the flag was up for offside.

Vince then saved again soon afterwards from Trickett-Smith before Lincoln got a lifeline in the 76th minute when Andrew Toyne netted from close range.

The visitors hopes were dashed just two minutes later when Stevenson robbed possession on the half-way line and ran into the right channel. His shot looped up off the advancing keeper but still found it's way into the net.

Blues put the icing on the cake deep into added time when Stevenson produced some good work down the left and his low cross was turned in by substitute Boris Melingui for his first goal for the club.

So a great Non League Day at Harrison Park, the victory earned the club £3000 and a tasty home tie against Evo-Stik Southern Premier leaders Kettering Town on Saturday 28th October.

View the match photos here.

Team: Chapman, Green, Kearns, Grocott, Lycett, Chadwick, Trickett-Smith (Melingui, 87), Calveley, Grice (Stevenson, 68), Johnson (Curley, 82), Stevenson

Unused subs: Conlon, Mbowe, Wyatt

Attendance: 269

Man of the Match: Marc Grocott

Match sponsored by the Leek Posties