After a disappointing result at the weekend, Chasetown were hoping for a positive start but it was unbeaten league leaders Leek who started the better and deservedly took the lead in the 20th minute when a former Scholar Jordan Johnson beat Ryan Price.

Chasetown’s start to the game was stutter but gradually they asserted some confident passing in the midfield, albeit failing to probe Leek Town too much nor challenge goalkeeper Ben Chapman. In fact, it took a neat move between Nick Wellecomme and Danny Griffiths in the closing minutes of the half to force Chapman into his first save – the ball straight at him from the Walsall loanee.

After the break though, Chasetown looked sharper and it took just 8 minutes for Craig Harris’ men to draw level. A through ball into the path of Danny Griffiths was weighted perfectly for the striker to get ahead of his defender and lash a shot inside Chapman’s left hand post.

Wellecomme felt he had claims for a penalty when Andy Bratt caught him inside the box, with the result being the Chase Number 9 clashing with Chapman and causing lengthy treatment to the Leek keeper. Wellecomme was perhaps harshly booked with the Leek keeper himself recovering from the challenge after some lengthy treatment.

Leek, who lead the Evo-Stik Division 1 South table by 8 points, never looked likely to net the winning goal in normal time and it looked as if the game was heading for extra time. That was, until 6 minutes from the end when Wellecomme reacted quicker to a pass than the defender, picked his spot and pinged a shot beyond Chapman and, fortunately for Chasetown, off the inside of the post and into the opposite corner of the net.

On the balance of play, it was no more than Chasetown deserved and, for a travelling support of barely 20 in an England-Poland affected crowd of just 84, it was well worth the trip.

Leek Town: Chapman, Evans, Swetnam, Donnelly, Bradbury (Bratt, 55 mins), Hall, Maguire, Bell, Kinsey, Johnson, Johnston (Smith, 67 mins)
Other sub: Danylyk (not used)

Chasetown: Ryan Price, Jack Farmer, Louis Keenan, Chris Slater, Tesfa Robinson, Avun Jephcott (Theo Robinson, 79 mins), Simon Brown, Lee Butler, Nick Wellecomme, Danny Griffiths, Grant Beckett

Other subs: Alex Forde, Leigh Downing, Danny Bragoli, William Whieldon (not used)