​FA Cup joy for Leighton sets up Cambridge City tie

​Boss Gary Flinn was delighted with his Leighton Town side’s display as they saw off Enfield in the FA Cup preliminary round on Saturday.
By Sports Reporter
Published 21st Aug 2023, 13:41 GMT
Gary Flinn praised his players after Saturday's win. Photo by Mandy Davies.Gary Flinn praised his players after Saturday's win. Photo by Mandy Davies.
Gary Flinn praised his players after Saturday's win. Photo by Mandy Davies.

​Albie Hall’s first-half goal was enough to separate the sides and set up a first qualifying round tie at home to Cambridge City on September 2.

And Flinn was proud of his players’ efforts,, the Reds having been reduced to ten men late on when Ethan Flanagan earned a second yellow card.

He said: “It was really pleasing and a very gutsy performance from us.

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"We had to show a different character for what was a very different kind of game between two really good teams who wanted to win the game, settled by a little bit of quality from Albie.

"Enfield are a good side and will do well in our league. We showed some good organisation and good toughness and I was really pleased with the clean sheet.

"We kept creating chances even after going down to ten men, especially on the break when they were piling on the pressure and pushing lots of men forwards.”

Goalscorer Hall, meanwhile, felt the win was deserved.

He said: “I'm buzzing. We deserved it – they were a tough team and moved the ball around well but we’re so solid at the back that if we nick a goal I always fancy us to win.

"The goal was instinctive, I saw the defender go to ground and bent it into the corner and it was great to see it go in and to celebrate with the fans behind the goal. It was tough at the end with ten men and it felt like the game was never going to end but we dug in and hung on.”

Leighton now prepare to return to league action with a double-header over the Bank Holiday weekend.

On Saturday, they’ll go to Biggleswade FC, who have won both of their league games so far, before then hosting AFC Dunstable on Monday.

*Last Tuesday, Leighton secured their first league win of the season with an impressive 4-2 win at Aylesbury United.

Louis Barrett tapped home the opening goal on six minutes, before Luke Pyman’s superb solo effort doubled the lead on 21, the same player making it 3-0 before the break.

Pyman then got his hat-trick early in the second-half, two late United goals proving scant consolation.

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