Tonight’s fixtures OFF

Tonight’s Evo Stik First Division South matches have been postponed following further snow and ice.

Kidsgrove Athletic‘s Seddon Stadium, Newcastle Town’s Lyme Valley Stadium and Leek Town‘s Harrison Park has all failed to recover in time for their league fixtures.

Harrison Park Pic: Hampton Productions

Kidsgrove were due to play Romulus, Newcastle faced Glapwell and Leek hosted their match with Market Drayton Town.

The side’s will have to wait until Boxing Day for another chance of play and for Neil Cox’s Leek Town side, they will be itching at the thought having not kicked a ball in anger for over a month now.

A date for the re-arranged fixtures is yet to be decided.

Cox frustrated by weather woe

Leek Town boss Neil Cox says he is becoming frustrated by his team’s lack of action.

Neil Cox

Cox and his troops haven’t played since their 3-1 Staffordshire Cup defeat at home to Rushall Olympic on November 23.

Having fallen victim to the snow and ice last month, Leek’s match at Spalding fell foul to the elements in what was a fifth-successive postponement for the Blues.

Cos said: “We just want to get back out there, the players are itching to play.

“But the way things are going, we might not play again until after Christmas.

“We have been able to train – Dario Gradi let us use the Reaseheath complex at Crewe – but we just want to get back out there now.”

The Blues are due to face Market Drayton Town tomorrow (December 21) but this is a major doubt.

Leek’s next scheduled game after that is the Bank Holiday Monday clash on December 27th with Belper Town at Harrison Park. That game is 34 days since the Blues last kicked a ball in anger – the Staffordshire Senior Cup game against Rushall Olympic on November 23rd.

If the Belper game doesn’t go ahead, the winter weather lay-off could surpass last year’s break of 39 days between the 15th December and 23rd January.

With fixture backlogs inevitable, Town have at least played 17 league games – around average for the division.

Spare a thought for Sheffield FC who most be wondering how on earth they are going to fit in a further 31 league games having played only 11 so far!

As always, let North Staffs Football know your thoughts on matches being postponed and whether non-leagues should start their fixtures earlier?

Leek Town boss hopeful over Quorn game

Leek Town manager Neil Cox is keen to get the team back into the routine of playing games after bad weather led to a string of matches being cancelled, writes Danny Cuff.

They went without a game last weekend as their fixture against Loughborough Dynamo was called off.

Cox said: “After a couple of weeks without a game we need to play and get started again.”

Neil Cox

Although the results may not tell the same story, Leek Town have been impressing with their performances away from home and travel to Quorn tomorrow hoping to pick up points.

Cox added: “We have been playing our best football away from home and the pitch at Quorn is a great surface to play on.”

Leek currently sit 18th in the table and while Quorn sit 12th, Cox feels that the game is one they can still take points from.

“I have seen Quorn play a few times and I don’t feel there is too much between us,” he explained. “It should be a good game.”

Leek Town groundsman waits on thaw

Leek Town‘s groundsman Chris Hermiston has said it could take weeks for his pitch to recover from the recent cold snap.

Harrison Park is still under six inches of snow, with over nine inches blanketing the pitch at the weekend.

Hermiston said that when the snow thaws the pitch might not be playable for some time after.

Harrison Park Pic: Hampton Productions

He added: “The thaw will leave lakes all over the pitch because it won’t be able to get through the frozen ground.

“It is difficult for the players, staff and fans because a lot of games takes it out of the pitch and spectators tend not to come to midweek games because of all the football on television.

“The ground has lost three inches of snow since friday but all the terraces and car park could still be dangerous even when the pitch is clear.”

Leek Town are away to Quorn on Saturday but Hermiston has time on his side as the Blues next home match isn’t until they clash with Belper Town on December 27.

‘Worst performance since i’ve been here’, says Leek Town boss Neil Cox

Leek Town boss Neil Cox has described his side’s defeat as their ‘worst performance’ since he joined the club a month ago.

The Blues are down to 17^th in the table after a 2-0 loss to Sheffield at Harrison Park on Saturday (Nov 6).

Neil Cox’s men have now suffered five home league defeats in eight games and he had no real complaints about the result of the game.

Neil Cox

He said: “That was the worst performance since I’ve been here.

“We started the game off well with two good chances then we conceded a sloppy goal before creating a couple of further chances through Paul Rutter and Dan Cope.

“In the second half we didn’t start well and after good possession we gave the ball away, conceded a corner at which some players failed to take responsibility and as a result we go two down.

“Things will change for the game at Carlton on Wednesday with Stuart Heeps, Leon Ashman and new signing Jamie Haynes all likely to start.”

Sheffield struck early when a right wing cross was met by the head of big centre forward Brian Cusworth, who was left unmarked and had the simplest of tasks to head home from eight yards out with just nine minutes on the clock.

Paul Rutter and Dan Cope brought good saves out of Sheffield keeper Dan Whatsize before Sheffield had two good chances to increase their lead before the break.

Eight minutes into the second half, Sheffield increased their lead when a corner was played back to Ashley Burbeary outside the box and he hit a superb low strike into the right hand corner of Hodgson’s net.

The Blues travel to Carlton Town on Wednesday (Nov 10) night. Kick-off is 7.45pm

Leek Town look to bounce back after Stamford

Leek Town entertain Sheffield FC at Harrison Park on Saturday (Nov 6) as they look to bounce back from last week’s 2-1 defeat to Stamford.

The Blues, who sit 16^th are desperate to put a run of recent together after wasteful chances cost them dearly last weekend.

Blues boss Neil Cox has made his first signing ahead of Saturday’s clash, by bringing in midfielder Jamie Haynes from Market Drayton Town.

Jamie Haynes

But the former Shrewsbury player is a doubt to feature on Saturday.

Cox said: “He wants the ball and wants to pass it, so he should really fit in here.

“We needed another midfielder and we I know a few people who speak very highly of him.”

Leek follow up Saturday’s clash with Sheffield FC with a trip to high-flying Carlton Town.

Saturday’s opponents have endured a fixture pile-up of their own in recent weeks.

The Yorkshire side, who have played 10 matches since the beginning of October, are enjoying extended runs in both the FA Cup and FA Trophy.

Cox has stressed this could play into the Blues’ hands.

He added: “We need to get straight after them, get on the front foot early on and try to get a lead.”

Kick-off is 3.00pm at Harrison Park.

Leek Town boss Neil Cox on the brink of new signing

Leek Town boss Neil Cox is poised to make to his first signing since landing the Blues job last month.

The former Watford skipper (pictured) is confident of snapping up former Shrewsbury Town midfielder Jamie Haynes who is due to join the club for training this week.

Haynes, who has also played in the League of Wales with Caersws FC, spent last season and the early part of this one at Market Drayton Town.

Neil Cox

Meanwhile midfielder James Brough, who signed from Ball Haye Green towards the end of last month, made his full league debut in the game at Stamford on Saturday.

Brough is a former member of Blues’ highly successful under-18’s squad of a couple of years ago and was one of the last signings made by former manager Wayne Johnson.

Since re-joining the club Brough has made an appearance as a substitute in the League Challenge Cup game at Kidsgrove last month and made his Evo-Stik debut as a second-half substitute in the home game against Grantham.

Cox also welcomed defenders Andy Taylor and Mark Ruddock back for the trip to Stamford on Saturday after both served one-match bans.

Goalkeeper Stuart Heeps was loaned to local Vodkat League side Norton United to help them with a selection problem last midweek.

Leek Town boss delighted with first win

Leek Town served up new manager Neil Cox with his first win as the Blues came from a goal behind to beat Grantham at Harrison Park on Saturday (Oct 23).

Cox’s men converted two chances at the end of each half through Paul Rutter’s neat finish and substitute Leon Ashman’s power header to cancel out the visitors’ first half opener.

Neil Cox via club website

And Cox said that their 2-1 win was deserved.

He said: “ I thought we deserved it on second half performance but I was disappointed in particular with our first half showing.

“I changed things round during the break and brought James Brough on – then we looked more compact getting the ball down and passing it better.

“It was good to get my first win with two well-taken goals and the winner coming from two of the subs.

“Everyone is now fighting for their place with two of the lads coming back from suspension for the trip to Stamford on Saturday”.
 
 Leek: Hodgson, Shenton, P Taylor, M Johnson, Bradbury, Allen, Corden, C Millar, Rutter (Ashman 81), Cope (France 75), Miller (Brough 45). Subs not used: Cox, Heeps.

Grantham: Murray, Percicoe, Potts, Asher, Sucharewycz, Mullins, Glarvey, Robinson, Glass (Pritchard 78), Saunders, Carchedi (Milson 69). Subs not used: Lewis, Hallcro, Rhule.

Att: 274.