If Leek Town fans thought they had seen the Blues best performance of the season in the home game against Basford then, given the quality of the opposition in table topping semi-professional outfit Macclesfield, this Boxing Day victory surpassed that by a long chalk and will live long in the memory of the 318 supporters who had travelled to cheer on the Blues in an impressive crowd figure of 4181.

This was a real coupon buster with no one expecting Leek to trouble the runaway leaders but, make no mistake, Josh Brehauts side thoroughly deserved their victory with a tremendous team performance as the Blues achieved back to back wins for this first time this season. Even Macclesfield manager, Robbie Savage, had to admit the best team had won on the day.

Against a side that had scored in every league game this season Brehaut made one change to the Leek starting line up that had impressed against Basford. It was a defensive one with Julius Ndene coming into the side to replace Olly Heywood and resulted in an eyebrow raising switch of position for Tom Curl from right back to left back. However, Curl and his fellow defensive unit of Ndene, Liam Buckley and Liam Edward’s would prove to be magnificent in restricting the leagues top scoring team to a handful of chances with Ndene also going on to score the late winner.

The game kicked off in foggy conditions that had hung around all day which lifted and dropped at various points of the game and did raise doubts as to whether the game would be able to continue if the conditions worsened but fortunately for Leek held off just long enough for it be completed.

The Blues made a promising start to the game with Louis Potts and Hayden Campbell continuing where they had left off against Basford combining well to launch an attack down the left. Potts was shepherded away from the danger by Macclesfield centre half Mendy, but the ball was recycled and Adam Porter was unlucky to see his attempted cross come back off him to go behind for a goal kick.

Liam Buckley had more success on the other flank as he was found on the overlap but his low ball in was cleared by the Macclesfield defence before a crude challenge on Alex Hurst to prevent a Leek counterattack resulted in an early booking for Macclesfield captain Paul Dawson after just 8mins.

The home side were struggling to get into their stride and play through the hard working midfield of Porter, Billy Reeves and Ollie Shenton so much so that their first corner of the game came on 14mins as a result of Mendy having to advance out of the Macclesfield back line to create an overload on the right.

The delivery was dealt with by the Blues but Macclesfield were able to win the ball back and come forward again resulting in their first effort on target as D’Mani Mellor fired in a low effort that Dino Visser did well to save low down and also hold onto the ball with two Macclesfield players following in looking for any spillage.

James Edmondson tried his luck for the hosts a couple of minutes later but his shot was well over Vissers bar before Leek thought they had taken the lead on 20mins following good work from Porter who won the ball off full back Justin Johnson and fed it onto Hurst. Faced by Mendy who had had to come out from his central position to cover his fullback, Hurst took it past the defender and deliver a low ball into the area that Potts slid in to meet under pressure from his marker to put it into the net. Cue bedlam in the Leek fans behind the goal which unfortunately proved to be premature as the goal was disallowed for handball with the officials indicating Potts had used his arm.

The disappointment of the goal being chalked off did not deter the Blues and they created another good opportunity after 26mins as a result of a good coordinated press of the Macclesfield players in possession, led by Campbell, which forced the mistake to give the ball back to an orange shirt. The ball was quickly played into Campbell who turned and slid a good pass inside full back Johnson for Hurst to run onto. With just goalkeeper Dearnley to beat Hurst chose to hit it first time and tried to curl it inside the far post but the ball was just too high and wide.

It looked as if Leek would regret the misfortune of Potts disallowed goal and Hursts chance when Macclesfield took the lead on 34mins. Once again it took Mendy coming out of defence to create the opportunity with the ball eventually being worked quickly over to the left where Luke Duffy was found inside the area and he was able to beat Visser at his near post with a low driven effort.

However, rather than being subdued at the turn of events, Leek hit back within 3mins of the restart and it was again as a result of the industrious Porter who broke up play and played in Campbell inside the left of the area. The striker lifted the ball over the diving Dearnley towards goal and although a covering defender, Neil Kenghi, tried to keep it out the ball ended up in the net. This time the goal stood and the celebrations from the Leek fans were merited.

After this burst of action there was a lull in the game as the fog continued to lift and fall before each side had an opportunity just before the half time break. Mendy had an effort for the hosts that was deflected to trickle just wide of the post before, at the other end, Potts did well to create a chance for Hurst and his left footed effort aiming for inside the far post was pushed just past it by a good low finger tip save from Dearnley to ensure the scoreline remained level.

MACCLESFIELD 1 - LEEK TOWN 1 HT

Obviously not happy with the way the game had been going for his side Savage made a triple change at the break, one of whom was Johnson who had had a bit of a torrid time in trying to contain Hurst and Porter. The substitutions had no immediate effect as the second half began slowly although Visser again had to show safe hands in dealing with a low cross from the Macclesfield right with two players looking to pounce on anything loose.

Leek were dealt a blow on 52mins when Campbell could not continue after going down injured and had to be replaced by Tom Scully. The Blues had lost an important outlet for them upfront and for a period after the change were struggling to gain any meaningful possession to alleviate the pressure that Macclesfield were slowly cranking up.

However, the hosts were still finding themselves up against a resolute Blues back line and Liam Edwards produced a great last ditch challenge to deny Danny Elliott a shooting opportunity just as the Macclesfield forward was about to pull the trigger. In fact, it was a measure of how Edwards and Ndene had handled Macclesfields top scorer so well that he was taken off after 60mins.

Visser was called into his first real save of the second half on 57mins having to push Edmondson’s effort wide of the post to concede a corner which fell to substitute Sam Heathcote at the far post but his first time volley was well over the bar.

Leek continued to work hard against their opponents but there was a concern that the fitness levels would tell as the game entered the final 15mins with Macclesfield being a hybrid semi-professional outfit. However the Blues continued to defy the odds as they gradually started to get more of an upper hand of proceedings and looked the more likely side as they fashioned a number of opportunities in a six or seven minute spell of play.

On 74mins Potts broke forward and found the supporting Hurst down the left hand side. He took on the defence and drew a number of Macclesfield players to him before returning the ball to Potts who had dropped off just outside the area. He tried his luck with a right footed effort but it flew high and wide.

The Blues striker came closer just a couple of mins later. Once again he linked up with Hurst who again did really well to beat his opponent on the left and deliver a dangerous cross that was parried by Dearnley just as Potts was about to pounce. Potts did manage to get to the loose ball first but swivelled to shoot just wide of the post.

Hurst was having an inspired spell and on 80mins he took on the Macclesfield defence once more but this time cut inside to fire in a right footed effort that Dearnley had to get low down to save. Into the last 10mins and it was Macclesfield who then came forward pressing for a winner. The Leek players continued to put their bodies on the line with a couple of important blocks on the edge of the area as the home side tried to work an opening before goal scorer Duffy eventually fired one over Vissers bar and then John Rooney curled a free kick effort wide of the post.

Leek would have taken a draw at the league leaders before kickoff and considered this a great result, and it would have been understandable for the players to have dropped back and settled for this as the 90th minute approached, but to their credit they still looked to go forward opitimised by Buckley breaking forward from his defensive role to deliver a cross from the right that forced Macclesfield to concede a corner.

With Blues fans at the opposite end of the ground trying to work out what was happening in the fog at the far end the corner was delivered and met by Julius Ndene and, as they became aware of the yells and raised arms from the celebrating Leek players, bedlam once again broke out amongst the Blues contingent.

There was still to be 6mins of extra time played before an unlikely victory could be celebrated but the hosts had been stunned and, faced with a determined orange wall in front of them, they were unable to create anything of significance apart from one occasion where Visser had to be quick to tip away a loose ball from a Macclesfield players feet and clear the danger.

The referees final whistle was met with loud cheers, delight and probably disbelief, from the away fans who waited to celebrate an unexpected win with the players before, no doubt, continuing them into the Boxing Day night.

And whilst this was indeed a great victory, Leek must now undoubtedly take confidence from this performance and use it as a springboard for a stronger second half of the season to climb away from the lower reaches of the league table to a more comfortable position.

MACCLESFIELD 1 - LEEK TOWN 2 FT

REPORT FROM WINNERS LAD

Match Photos Courtesy of Jim Booth HERE

So the Blues finish 2024 in the way they began it with a rousing away win, our next home game is on New Years Day in 2025 against MATLOCK TOWN - tickets available HERE.