Leighton Buzzard Mens 2XI vs West Hampstead 6XI

After a slightly disappointing result last week, Leighton Buzzard came out in a determined fashion for todays home match. The line up was strong with a couple of returning faces to the team.
The side started well with great movement across the back line of David and Josh Wavish with Ollie P having an active role from the off. The 'cross pitch' movement created many opportunities for crisp clean passing through opening gaps to the midfield of Clive Warncken, Tim Bellamy, Dave Hooker, Simon Childs and Ben Smith.
This improved style of play led to a very open and competitive game with attacks and counter-attacks coming thick and fast from both sides. West Hampstead by no means allowing Leighton to have all their own way!
Leighton consistently pushed the ball wide through excellent pivotal play across the back line, creating space and time for the midfield to develop runs and chances, eventually leading to first strike from captain and forward Dave Jackson. Who received a pin point accurate pass from Bellamy, allowing him to slide the ball under the diving West Hampstead keeper.
With the score 1-0 to the home team, Leighton continued to exert pressure on the visitors, who had their fair share of chances on the counter, Leighton being saved on a number of occasions by an excellent display of goal-keeping by Jim Galloway, this continued pressure led to Leighton's second goal, this time from the stick of Ash Barnett, a lovely deflection from a good short corner routine, where the ball was hit in where Ash neatly deflected the ball into the roof of the net., making it 2-0. Halftime came and went with Leighton looking like they were going to hold strong and extend their lead, however the visitors had other ideas and struck back quickly on the counter immediately after the break, this allowed them to secure their first of the game, making it 2-1, they had clearly been given instruction to step up and play high, placing the home team under extreme pressure and causing errors to creep in.
Leighton rallied from this and soon secured a third, this time from an excellent piece of individual skill displayed by Matt Nash, who shelled the ball home from the edge of the D, making it 3-1.
Leighton seemed to relax their grip on the match a little at this point allowing the visitors to press hard, creating many chances which they converted into two quick fire goals making it 3-3.
Tempers were now getting frayed, not helped by the sustained effort of the visitors and some dubious decisions by the umpire, including the yellow card to Clive W for protesting a decision, thus creating further pressure on the home side, which the visitors capitalised upon, controlling much of the play for a good section of the second half.
Leighton seemed to be in a state of shock, but were hanging in there, eventually re-gaining their composure in the dying minutes to secure a short corner, on the final whistle. This was seemingly the 'last throw of the dice' for Leighton. The corner was executed well from Dave W, where the keeper dived and saved it and punched the ball out, only for the ball to fall to Jackson, where he flicked it over the keeper, only for it to be stopped by a defenders chest. Appeals went up for a 'flick', the umpire at the visitors end needing to confer with his colleague...................................................................'the flick' was given. No pressure, who would step up?
Dave Jackson, the captain takes the responsibility. With everyone's nerves on edge, Dave calmly slotted the ball under the diving keeper once more to secure a hard and well earned win for his team, as well as securing him 'Man of the Match' in the process.

Written by Clive Warncken.