Leek Town turned in a much improved performance when they faced Romulus for a first time ever meeting of the two clubs and in an entertaining game they came from behind to take a deserved point, writes Mike Cope.
Blues ended a run of four straight defeats in a game that saw the home keeper make three top class saves in a 15-minute opening spell whilst both sides won needless penalties in the opening half.
Blues then took the lead five minutes into the second period but Roms equalised with stunning strike midway through the half.
In a rare start striker Leon Ashman took his chances and celebrated his 100th appearance for the club with both Leek goals whilst manager Neil Cox pulled one out of the hat with the surprise inclusion of Port Vale striker Anthony Malbon in his starting line-up.
Leek dominated the opening period of play and might have gone 3-0 up within the opening 15 minutes but for the intervention of the home side’s young keeper.
Five minutes into the game Ashman laid the ball off to Wayne Corden who turned a defender before firing in a fierce drive that had Lewis Exall flinging himself down to his left to save one handed on his line.
Anthony Malbon and Leon Ashman
Four minutes later Paul Taylor drove a free kick to the far post and Ashman rose to head back across the face of goal where Malbon headed inches wide of the upright.
In the 13th minute Exall pulled off another good save from Jamie Haynes and then Ashman’s shot from 20 yards out was blocked and the ball fell wide for Malbon but Exall blocked the follow-up effort.
Romulus threatened in the 15th minute but, after some good approach play, Marcus Brown ballooned a shot over the crossbar.
The home side came close again in the 18th minute when Brown set up Marvin Johnson but his shot was superbly tipped over by the alert Stuart Heeps and when the cross came in, Matt Johnson cleared off the line.
However, the clearance was pumped back into the box and although Roms found the back of the net the offside flag had already been raised.
Leon Ashman penalty
In the 22nd minute a good touch on by Malbon found Johnson on the overlap and his blistering drive was brilliantly tipped round by the overworked Exall.
Leek won two corners in quick succession in the 30th minute that led to a goalmouth scramble but Blues failed to get a boot on it and the chance was lost.
However, Leek fell behind against the run of play in the 33rd minute when Carl Allan impeded Johnson who appeared to be going nowhere inside the box and the referee had no alternative but to award a penalty that was driven home by Marcus Brown.
Four minutes later Johnson and Corden combined to open up the home defence but Exall was alert to the danger and just beat Malbon to the ball.
Johnson was enjoying a lot of freedom down the right flank and in the 36th minute he advanced to the edge of the box to unleash another pile-driver that flew past the keeper and narrowly wide of the far post.
In the 39th minute Robert Evans fired in a free kick for Roms and when Johnson headed it on to Brown he attempted a spectacular overhead kick but the ball fell wide of the target.
Two minutes from the break Ashman chased a seemingly lost cause towards the by-line well wide of the woodwork and Exall unwisely set off in pursuit of him
But, just as the ball appeared to be running out of play, he barged the Blues’ striker and Ashman got up to send the hapless keeper the wrong way with the resulting spot kick.
Within five minutes of the second half, Leek swept into the lead when Johnson’s corner was worked back to him and this time the Blues’ full back crossed deep to the far post where Ashman rose to steer home a well placed header.
This seemed to give the home side a wake-up call and eventually they began to exert some pressure on the Leek defence without really troubling Heeps in the Blues’ goal.
However, Brown had a goal ruled out for a handling offence around the hour mark and a goalmouth scramble sharpened the minds of the Leek defence before Peter Faulds drove a good chance over Heeps’ crossbar.
The home side’s pressure paid off in the 63rd minute when Ashley Jackson raced half the length of the field before smashing the ball high into the net from the edge of the box.
Four minutes, later Ashman almost netted a hat-trick when he got on the end of a Christian Millar corner but his header cleared the crossbar.
A minute later any other referee might have awarded Leek a second penalty following a clumsy challenge by Exall who clattered Ashman inside the box leaving both players crumpled in the penalty area. However, Mr Marsden stopped play for treatment and resumed the game with a bounce-up.
In the 79th minute Corden saw his well-struck shot pushed wide by the keeper and then Paul Taylor almost got on the scoresheet when he got on the end Matt Johnson’s free kick but his diving header fell into the side netting.
Leek kept up the pressure looking for the winner and it almost came in the 84th minute when Haynes attacked the Roms’ box before firing in a shot that just dipped over the woodwork.
In the 86th minute Blues came close to stealing all three points when Corden’s hooked cross found Dan Cope and he headed agonisingly wide with his first touch after coming on as a late substitute.
Romulus: Exall, Evans, Paskin, R Robinson, Male, Day, Walker, Faulds, Brown (Baker 64), Johnson, Jackson. Unused subs: Folks, Link, T Robinson, Clark.
Leek Town: Heeps, A Taylor, P Taylor, Johnson, Ruddock, Allen, Corden, Millar, Ashman (Rutter 77), Malbon (Cope 85), Haynes. Unused subs: Miller, France, Bradbury.
Att: 117
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