Leighton go six clear at the top thanks to home win
Paul Reed was a relieved after seeing his Leighton Town side go six points clear at the top of SPL Division One Central on Saturday.
The Reds’ 3-1 win at home to Stotfold, coupled with second-placed Hitchin Town losing 3-2 at Leverstock Green, meant the gap between the two sides was doubled with 12 games left to play.
Goals from Jack Sayell and Godlove Oppong had Leighton 2-0 up by half-time, and although Henry Snee pulled one back early in the second-half for Stotfold, Louie Barrett scored a third deep in stoppage time to settle any nerves.
Reed said: “It was a horrible game of football. Obviously the first 25 minutes were good and we got ourselves 2-0 up with some really good goals, and I thought at that point it could be another statement win for us in a similar fashion to last week.
"But I was frustrated at half-time and told the lads I thought they were taking liberties, switched off and our concentration levels dipped as well as us not working as hard.
"I thought Stotfold were growing into the game at 2-0 and then we had a massive chance early in the second-half to make it 3-0 which we missed, then they got a goal back and all of a sudden it was all hands to the pump.
"You always want to win games by playing good football and by being better on the ball but sometimes you have to remove the first bit and concentrate on the latter and today was one of those.
"But it’s one where you just have to win the game and move on – nobody will probably talk about this game ever again so we have to park it, take what are a big three points now given results elsewhere, and move on.
"We’ll get some depth back in with injured players returning and suspensions ending so we’ve told the boys we will need every single on of them now to get us over the line.”
Leighton make the trip to Hadley on Saturday who sit five points outside the play-off places.