Leighton boss Lee Bircham praises 'really good' display at Harpenden

Leon Lobjoit teases Harpenden's goalkeeper after scoring on Saturday. Photo: Simon Gill.

Lee Bircham was again full of praise for his Leighton Town players after they won 3-1 at Harpenden Town on Saturday.

It was a successful visit to Rothamsted Park, as Leighton Town left with the three points following a solid victory.

And Bircham was delighted with the performance.

He said: "We were really good today. It’s all about results, but today was really good on a very awkward and sticky surface and we scored goals at good times as well which always helps.

"You can see the difference with us now. I don’t want to tempt fate but we seemed to have turned a corner which has coincided with having no injury crisis like when we lost everyone at the wrong time and we tried to get back to fitness but nothing beats match fitness.

"They’re coming back into it and everyone contributed to a really satisfying day.”

From the start, Leighton were knocking on the door as Luke Pyman fired over just three minutes in. Ten minutes later, Oran Jackson’s athletic leap wasn’t rewarded as his header also blazed over.

But these missed chances would be footnotes as Leon Lobjoit opened the scoring on 18 minutes. The bounce was kind following a through ball and Lobjoit produced an exquisite, volleyed chip arching over Alex Desmond’s futile efforts. It was a jaw dropping 30th goal in all competitions this season for the striker.

Just past the half hour mark, it would get better for Town as Archie McClelland headed in from a first-class Reece Robins cross. With McClelland nodding back the way it came, Desmond again was just as much of an observer as the fans in attendance.

In the second half, Harpenden stirred into action. Just as they had pressured before the break, Harps managed to get one back through Jake Anthony on the hour – his low drive into the bottom right too powerful for Xavi Comas.

As the crowd tried to push for a comeback, substitute Lewis Toomey would silence them. Will Summerfield produced a fine run on the left. He beat two, then picked out Toomey who converted from close range at the back post.

This third goal was enough to mute the Harps and now Town look forward to Aylesbury Vale Dynamos at Bell Close on Tuesday night in the league, before Tring Athletic visit on Saturday.