Leek Towns struggles at home continued as they were well beaten by a strong Worksop Town side who showed why they are considered to be one of the contenders for the Northern Premier League title and promotion to Step 2.

The Blues knew this was going to be their toughest test of the season so far but the result was put into perspective when, after the game, Tigers manager Craig Parry admitted that his sides performance was the best he had seen from all of his time in charge of the club as the visitors showed power and pace all over the pitch to overwhelm their hosts for the majority of the game eventually running out 4-0 winners with all the goals coming in the second half.

Leek will point to a 64th minute incident when they were inexplicably denied a clear penalty as a potential game changer given that they were still only one behind at that point and could have seen them draw level but, in truth, the obvious gulf between the two sides meant the result, albeit maybe a little closer, would have been the same.

Worksop started the game as they meant to go on with attacks down both flanks using wide men Luke Hall and Dan Bramall who interchanged positions regularly and were ably supported by their full backs to create overloads with Regan Hutchinson particularly noticeable as he got his head down and burst forward with speed at every available opportunity.

Leek goalkeeper Dino Visser was called upon to make his first save as early as the third minute pushing away Bramalls effort after he had been left unmarked at the far post from a Tigers free kick and it would be the first of a series of saves for the Leek stopper

On 4mins one of Hutchinson’s bursting runs took him into the area past a couple of Blues shirts but his eventual toe poked effort took a deflection and sent the ball narrowly wide of Vissers post for the visitors first corner of the game. Although Leek dealt with the initial delivery when the ball was returned a vital block was required to deny Jordan Burrow before Hutchinson blazed the rebound over the bar

The Blues defence continued to be overworked with Olly Harrison well positioned to cut out two dangerous low balls one from each flank, within the space of a couple of minutes although the second occasion saw the centre half nearly score an own goal with the ball only just going the right side of the post for another Worksop corner.

The onslaught continued as Hutchinson again fired over after another lung bursting run on 18mins before the woodwork came to Leeks rescue on 19mins. The Tigers quick passing worked the space over on the left allowing Hall to be able to pick out Burrow with his cross, but whilst the Blues defence were quick to close him down he was able to tee up Vaughan Redford who’s effort came back off the post before finally being cleared.

Redford had another shot charged down on 23mins whilst Visser did well to claim a vicious whipped in cross by Bramall moments later as Worksop launched wave after wave of attacks.

Leek were struggling to get out of their area and their long balls forward looking for Tim Grice and Brendon Daniel were more in hope than expectation. They did manage to fashion one attack when Alex Hurst was found down the left after 32mins but after beating his man his cross was easily claimed by Malkowski in the Tigers goal and he quickly launched the visitors next attack which ended with Bramall playing a nice one two pass before hitting a shot that Visser had to tip over, before Aleksandrs Starcenko had Worksops next effort moments later with the midfielder walking through a couple of challenges before hitting a left foot effort high and wide of Vissers near post

Incredibly despite all of their backs to the wall defending it was Leek who actually had the clearest chance of the half and should have taken the lead completely against the run of play on 36mins as they put together their best move of the half. Liam Buckley made a rare foray forward from his left back position and the ball was quickly moved through Adam Porter and Billy Reeves before the final pass was perfectly into the path of Ollie Shenton inside the area. Shenton possibly delayed his shot a split second too late to allow Malkowski to spread himself and manage to get a left foot on it to take the ball past the post for the Blues first corner which the big keeper than claimed.

After this scare Worksop finished the opening half as strongly as they had begun. On 41 mins Visser was again forced into a save tipping away another Starcenko effort before a minute later Hutchinson again drove forward and picked out Hall. He cut inside Buckley and curled a lovely effort out of the reach of the flying Visser but saw the ball smack against the inside of the post before being scrambled away by the Blues defence and, remarkably somehow, the game remained scoreless.

LEEK TOWN 0 - WORKSOP TOWN 0 HT

The break did nothing to change the momentum of the match as Worksop again started the second half strongly and took a deserved lead after 47mins through Hutchinson. Leek had initially cleared the delivery from a Worksop free kick but the full back picked up the ball outside the area, quickly advanced to the edge of it and before he could be closed down unleashed a right foot effort that flew into the top corner of the net for a great finish.

Leek tried to hit back but Shenton was quickly crowded out in the area by a pack of Tigers defenders after a driving run by Hurst had created a half-chance for him before Blues manager Josh Brehaut made a couple of early substitutions replacing Grice and Daniels with Joe Woolley and Nathan Okome on 55mins.

The changes provided an initial spark and the Blues put together a nice passing move involving Buckley, Porter and the overlapping Tom Curl with the full back eventually pulling the ball back to Hurst in the area but his first touch was heavy and the chance was lost allowing Worksop to quickly counter and exploit the space that Curl had left. Bramall took the ball on into the Leek area and Visser had to turn his effort past his near post.

On the hour mark Bramall became the second Tigers player to be denied by the upright as his shot hit the outside of the post after Hall had robbed Buckley of the ball and quickly switched play over to the left to his partner in crime.

For all of the visitors dominance it was still only 1-0 and Leek were showing some glimpses of promise in an attacking sense with Woolley dropping off the front line to get on the ball and link with Porter, Hurst and Reeves.

On 64 mins the controversial penalty moment came. Leek won the ball in midfield and broke forward with the Tigers defence finally looking stretched as the Blues had a two on two situation. Hurst got the better of his man to draw over the other defender and slide a sideways pass to Okome. Receiving the ball the substitute was challenged by Hamza Bencherif and was almost knocked off his stride but the challenge also took the ball past Malkowski who had committed himself and as Okome followed the ball to roll it into the unguarded goal he was then caught by the keeper and his balance finally gave way for a clear penalty as there was no reason for the Blues player to go down. But amazingly the referee chose not to award the spot kick to the howls of protest from both players and fans.

Not long afterwards Worksop made their first substitution. It looked a strange one with the threatening Bramall being withdrawn for Jacob Gratton but it didn’t take long for the Tigers debutant to show why as he scored the goal of the game on 74mins.

Picking the ball up some 25yd out he played a neat one two with Burrow before hitting the return pass first time from just outside the area with an effort that flew like an arrow beyond the reach of the diving Visser inside his right hand post.

It was actually the first of two goals in two minutes that killed the game as far as the result was concerned. On 76mins Hall easily beat Lucas Weir, who had come on for Tom Curl and had not had chance to get up to the pace of the game, to deliver a low cross into the Leek area, and whilst the Blues defence were able to get a block on the first shot that came in Burrow was first to the rebound to sweep the ball into the roof of the net for 3-0 and game over.

Leek nearly earned themselves a consolation on 79mins when Hurst was played in and took the ball past Deegan Atherton but was denied by Malkowski, clearly wanting to preserve the Tigers record of having conceded the least goals so far this season to go alongside being the current top scorers as well.

Despite being three up the visitors were relentless and continued to press and Halls goal bound effort was denied by a Buckley block after 81mins whilst Visser produced his final save of the game on 89mins tipping Starcenkos effort past the post after he had been found by a lovely reverse pass by Hall.

The Leek keeper could do nothing about the Tigers fourth and final goal, however, as Redford scored from a 93rd minute penalty after the referee had deemed a Worksop player had been tripped inside the box to award the spot kick which rubbed salt into the home sides wounds considering the earlier incident.

LEEK TOWN 0 - WORKSOP TOWN 4 FT

REPORT BY WINNERS LAD

Post match interview courtesy of Moorlands Sports Radio HERE

Match Highlights from Terry Boote COMING SOON

Match photos courtesy of Jim Booth HERE

No rest for the Blues with a short trip to Hyde United on Tuesday, the last meeting being in 2005.