Leighton Defeat League Front Runners

After a disappointing draw last week, Leighton were hoping to reassert themselves as frontrunners in the league, and with the opposition presumably high off a promotion and an unbeaten record up to the point, Leighton were wary of BA Slough Ramgarhia in the build-up.

Sometimes victory comes from a stroke of luck rather than judgement, and Leighton were given a significant advantage from the offset: despite giving the opposition half an hour to arrive, the game was forced to begin with Ramgarhia fielding 8 players without a keeper.

Keen to capitalise, Leighton burst through the weakened opposition with Dave Jackson, Craig Westley and Finley Bell-Taylor all slotting shots ably past a slightly bemused kicking back within the first 10 minutes.

Play slowed as more of Ramgarhia’s players arrived, giving defenders Will Riley and Liam Wavish their first few touches of the ball. Despite some more promising play from Benji Robinson and Clive Warncken passing up the channels, Leighton seemed to lose their structure and discipline. Another goal from Jackson momentarily seemed to cement Leighton’s lead, however in the final moments of the first half, Ramgarhia managed to sneak a goal back from a very scrappy short corner, making it 4-1 at the break.

The second half opened with Ramgarhia up to full strength and a fully kitted keeper. The euphoric hopes of an easy win in the early game from Leighton had eroded by this point, and play lost a lot of finesse. Captain Tim Bellamy along with fellow central players Martin Bailey and Matt Nash attempted to impose more structure but struggled to punch through to forwards Kevin Abranches and Jackson. During this area of stagnated play, a Ramgarhia player broke through the midfield, cut across the top of the D and sliced a reverse shot away, bringing the score up to 4-2.

In the unseasonal heat, both teams began to show signs of fatigue as the final minutes ticked down, with wingbacks Tom Hanley and Tom O’Reilly trying to force some play down the side lines. Passing in and out down the left side, Nash, O’Reilly and Abranches broke into the opposing D, and in the last seconds before the whistle, O’Reilly chipped a shot in the wrong direction, deflecting from one Ramgarhia’s defender’s backs to make the score 5-2; an act well deserving of the coveted D of the Day title.

Although there are some clear areas ripe for improvement, the win is a boost to Leighton in the early stages of the season- it’s all to play for.