It was a familiar feeling at Leek Town as the Blues conceded another late late goal as they battled to cling onto a 2-1 lead against playoff contenders Guiseley.

Given the opposition the majority of the watching 502 spectators would probably have settled for a draw before the game, and will still consider it a valuable point earned, but will be equally disappointed to have conceded so late on again even though it produced a result that was probably a fair one overall.

Leek began the game showing two changes from the midweek defeat at Warrington. Tyreece Onyeka came into the side in place of the suspended Liam Buckley whilst Lucas Weir returned to the side after a long absence, including a loan spell at Northwich, to replace George Milner.

The Blues made the best possible start going ahead after just 3mins with Hayden Campbell tasking advantage of a rather shaky and hesitant start from the Lions defence who failed to deal with a ball played up to Louis Potts. Campbell picked up the loose ball on the edge of the area and had time and space to hit a low shot goalwards that went under goalkeeper Joe Cracknell, who should have done better with his attempted save, and into the net to make it 1-0.

The visitors had the ideal opportunity to hit back straightaway as they attacked from the restart and were awarded a free kick just outside the corner of the area following a foul by Tom Curl. Curl injured himself in the challenge and had to be replaced by Julius Ndene with Nathan Okome moving over to the right of the defence. Given his form over the season the loss of Curl was an early blow for Leek and, seeing the defender on crutches at the end of the game, the loss may unfortunately be an extended one the team has to suffer.

Lewis Whitham was the man who took the free kick but it was straight at Dino Visser in the Leek goal who was able to make a comfortable looking save. Whitham and Jack Emmett were looking lively up front for the Lions and linking up well. On 11mins Whithams flick on released Emmett who had broken the Leek offside trap in a gap between Ndene and Olly Haywood but the Guiseley no.10 lashed his shot wide of Vissers near post.

Onyeka came closer at the other end and nearly doubled the Blues lead after 14mins. After Potts had challenged for the ball just outside the Guiseley area Billy Reeves won a secondary challenge to pick up the loose ball some 25yds out and immediately fed the ball to Onyeka. He ran at his man and created the space to fire a low right footed effort that went across the diving Cracknell but rolled just the wrong side of the post.

Play swung to the other end and, after almost going two behind, Guiseley nearly levelled the match when a spell of passing around the edge of the Leek area eventually made space for Prince Ekpolo to hit a right footer that flew over Visser but bounced off the top of his bar for a goal kick.

The visitors continued to press and did manage to find an equaliser after 26mins when, from a ball pumped forward down the right, Ollie Shenton mistimed his jump to allow the ball to skim off the top of his head where it was helped on to release Whitham looking suspiciously offside. But the flag stayed down and he was able to hold off the close attention of Ollie Haywood and advance into the area to present Emmett with a simple tap in from a yard out.

The game then entered into a fast paced but scrappy period that carried on all the way up to the break where neither side were able to gain any significant control of the play. Guiseleys Jamie Spencer was lucky to avoid a yellow card which would have been his second of the game following an earlier caution for dissent after bringing down Potts near the touch line but Leek were wasteful with this and their other free kick opportunities with Weir over hitting his delivery on at least three separate occasions.

The Blues did manage to create a couple of half chances in their attempts to regain the lead. Campbell tried his luck from 30yards after being found by Shentons pass it but it flew wide of Cracknells left post before Potts saw his volley charged down inside the area after Campbell had met Onyekas cross to the far post to nod the ball back to his strike partner.

Potts was also denied by an alert Cracknell who was quickly out to get to Reeves intelligent chip over the top of the Lions defence just before the the Leek striker, whilst at the other end Ollie Brown headed just wide in the last meaningful action of the first half.

LEEK TOWN 1 - GUISELEY AFC 1 HT

The start of the second half saw each side win their first corners of the game with Guiseley wasting their opportunity by committing a foul on Visser who had come to punch whilst Leek wasted theirs by once again over hitting the delivery.

But the Blues next attack was more fruitful and brought their second goal of the game on 51mins. Campbell was released on the counterattack down the left flank and powered forward before cutting back and curling an in swinging cross into the area where Louis Potts met it and neatly used the pace to direct it into the far corner with a flicked header.

Guiseley made a double substitution not long afterwards bringing on Adriano Moke and Gabriel Johnson and the changes seemed to work as the Lions started to see more of the ball and gradually push Leek further and further back. Emmett and Whitham were still posing a threat and combined again after 58mins with Visser having to save Emmetts effort at his near post.

Leek made a substitution of their own on 65mins but it was a forced one as Campbell had to go off injured with Alex Hurst his replacement and Hurst had a great chance to give the Blues a 2 goal lead a couple of minutes later on a rare break out by the home side when Onyeka managed to carry the ball just over the halfway line before being challenged. Potts, however, was in support to retrieve the ball and continue the move where he got to the edge of the area and drew in a couple of defenders before sliding a pass into Hurst breaking just inside the box. The chance was there to hit it first time right footed across Cracknell but Hurst chose to take it inside and work an opportunity on his left foot but this was blocked by the defence and Leeks best chance of the half had gone.

With 20mins remaining the visitors ramped up the pressure even more. Centre half Lebrun MBeka was pushed into the attack and the Blues defence had to deal with a series of long throws.

Leek were really struggling to get out of their own half now and it was wave after wave of Guiseley’s probing attacks that the Blues defence of Okome, Haywood, Ndene and Liam Edward’s were having to stubbornly deal with. At one stage of the Lions possession all of the outfield players with the exception of goalkeeper Cracknell were condensed within 25 yards of the Blues goal.

With 10mins to go Leek replaced Shenton with Milner to add to Leeks defensive capabilities and he was soon in the thick of it preventing Whitham from getting a shot away inside the area.

The Blues resilience was eventually broken on 88mins however and maybe they contributed to their own downfall. Mbeka was able to get the better of 2 separate challenges from Reeves and Milner to get a shot away that Visser nervously fumbled behind for a corner. The keeper then managed to get a punch on the resultant delivery but only to the edge of the area where it was headed back into the mix and a secondary header flicked it on resulting in a bit of a scramble where Visser could not gather and Johnson was able to bundle the ball home for a scrappy finish.

With 5 added minutes signalled by the referee Guiseley, not content with their equaliser, sensed an opportunity to grab an unlikely victory and pressed forward again. Whitham this time got the better of Milner but Visser was able to save and hold onto the ball with 2 white shirts waiting to pounce on any mistake. Whitham had another shot a moment later which was off target and fell perfectly to Johnson inside the area but he scuffed his effort making the save easier for Visser.

Then, in the 95th minute, with the last kick of the game Visser produced a great save tipping over Lucas Odunstons header although the assistant referee then belatedly raised his flag to show it would not have counted anyway and resulted in the game deservedly ending in a draw.

LEEK TOWN 2 - GUISELEY AFC 2 FT

REPORT BY WINNERS LAD

Match Photo Gallery courtesy of Jim Booth HERE

A relatively passive week to prepare for our trip to Hebburn on Saturday, its then a quick turnaround to play two home games, Sporting Khalsa on Tuesday 4 March in the quarter finals of the Staffordshire Senior Cup and Morpeth Town on Saturday 9 March in league action.