Positive start to the season

Seconds start strongly with a 5-1 win at home: With 3 players playing up, the 2s went into their first game of the season against Ealing with some players filling in in unfamiliar positions. Nevertheless Leighton started the game well, absorbing pressure, and looking dangerous on the break. The deadlock was broken as hard running from the leighton front four engineered a 3 on 1. Dave Jackson slipping the ball past the stranded keeper for Chris Marshall to tap in. It wasn't long before the favour was returned and Jackson scored the second with a reverse flick over the diving keeper. Stung by the two quick goals Ealing pushed up, but the back four of Tom Handley and Chris Bourne, and in particular the new centre back pairing of Will Riley and Dan Wright withstood 10 minutes of pressure. In goal Jim Galloway was able to deal with anything that did get through from Ealing's forwards. After a spell of defensive work when briefly down to 10 (due to a green card for Tom), Tim Bellamy and Martin Bailey gradually began to dominate in the middle, and Leighton hit back with another break. A well executed short corner routine was ended by Steve Fuller, who had been tormenting the Ealing defenders with his pace, but now deftly chipped in from the right post. Leighton were able to withstand a flurry of short corners and grab another through Fuller again just before half time, to go to the break in full control. The second half was harder work as Ealing threw their best players up the pitch and launched a barrage of arials for the centre backs to deal with. Despite this it was Leighton who looked favourites to score, and Kev Abranches, Marshall, Jackson, and Fuller were all denied by fine saves from the Ealing keeper. A moment of individual brilliance saw Ealing get one back with a spectacular no-look pass splitting the Leighton defence, however all further Ealing attacks were repelled by the keeper and back four. Leighton could have added more but a series of saves from the Ealing keeper frustrated them until Bellamy drove a short corner strike into the corner to cap a deserved victory. Man of the match for his speed and his two goals was Steve Fuller.