Hockey: Leek lose ground in title race

by Gwyn Griffiths

LEEK suffered a setback in their quest for promotion from the National League Conference North as they went down by the odd goal in five at Sheffield Hallam Civica.

The Moorlanders were left to rue missing a series of juicy chances again as their strikers failed to find form.

After trailing at the break to a strike from Hallam's Steve Andrews, Chris Hart levelled with a clinical finish minutes into the second-half.

But Will Musgrave and Dan Berry twice punished Leek from penalty corners as Sheffield surged into a two-goal lead.

Paul Dawson did hit back three minutes from time, also via a penalty corner, and Leek piled on the pressure.

A Paul Nixon effort was conjured off the Hallam line and there were several other near misses, but Leek couldn't force an equaliser in their last outing before the winter recess.

"It was probably our worst performance of the season," admitted coach Matt Boardman. "We created a lot of chances and probably should have won the game. But we just don't seem to be able to put them away at the moment.

"We had two or three penalty corners in the closing minutes and several near misses, but it wasn't to be."

Leek go into the break in fourth place and plan to keep themselves ticking over by sending sides to the Midland Indoor Championship.

Meanwhile, Andrew Ashworth netted a brace as CREWE VAGRANTS kept themselves in contention with the leaders in North League Division One with a 5-3 victory over City of York.

James Capper and Dave Holland were also on the mark as The Vagrants earned their sixth win in their 10 League fixtures to date.

Stuart Stanway saved a point for NORTH STAFFS with a last-gasp penalty corner strike.

His side had struggled to see off bottom of the table Worcester, who arrived with a game plan and were happy to sit back and strike on the break.

Oliver Adams blotted his copybook when he was sin-binned for a trip on a Worcester midfielder.

In a tight second-half, the visitors edged in front after the ball broke loose when Andy Magee saved a penalty corner strike.

Rob Riddell swooped to fire home for Worcester, who then had even more incentive to retreat into their shell.

North Staffs pressed high and claimed a string of penalty corners without joy. Eventually, 90 seconds from the whistle, Stanway buried a drag flick into the net from a set-play.

Elsewhere, STONE beat promotion rivals Old Wulfrunians 3-1 to stay in third in the West Midlands Premier Division, while BARLASTON shared the honours with Oswestry in a 10-goal West Midlands Division Two clash.