BLUES BACK FROM BEDWORTH EMPTY-HANDED

Blues returned from a long midweek trip empty-handed after suffering a 2-1 defeat on the artificial surface at The Oval.

Neil Baker welcomed back Niall Green and Kyle Blake to his starting line-up with James Curley and Mike Calveley taking a seat on the bench.

Bedworth were the first to go close when on 13 minutes Ben Chapman was down low at full stretch to push a shot around the post.

Chapman was forced into another good save before Blues took the lead on 28 minutes when Jordan Johnson was played in and slotted the ball past the keeper in typical style.

Soon afterwards Blake was stretchered off with a knee injury to be replaced by Calveley, but the incident seem to put Leek off their stride and the Greenbacks took charge up to half-time scoring twice.

The first came on 38 minutes when Blues surrendered a run of five hours without conceding in tame fashion as Jamie McAteer was allowed to head home from close range following a corner.

Just before the break Khaelleen Bailey-Nicholls rifled an emphatic finish into the top corner of the net to give the home side the lead.

The second half was fairly even but both sides although creating chances failed to register efforts on target.

However in the closing stages it was Town who looked more likely and Marc Grocott saw his 87th minute effort well-saved by the legs of Daniel Crane in the Greenbacks goal.

A minute later Crane tipped Green's close range effort onto the crossbar and Blues chances of salvaging a point were gone.

Team: Chapman, Green, Kearns, Grocott, Lycett, Chadwick, Trickett-Smith, Blake (Calveley, 30), Maguire, Grice (Stevenson, 68), Johnson (Curley, 81), Maguire

Unused subs: Bird, Conlon

Attendance: 141