Staines Town 1 Blues 4

Leiston maintained their recent good form with an emphatic victory at fellow play off chasing Staines Town. The Suffolk side recorded a fourth straight win and extended their run to seven games unbeaten with a second successive win in Middlesex.

With Kyle Hammond unavailable Joe Marsden returned to the starting line-up and he had a hand in a sensational start for the visitors. There was less than a minute on the clock when a neat passing exchange from the Blues ended with Jake Reed being felled inside the box. Leading scorer Jack Ainsley confidently dispatched his thirteenth League goal of the season into the bottom left hand corner. It was a fantastic start for the visitors and their confidence over the last few weeks was clearly visible. The hosts, as expected, responded well and leading scorer Buchanan saw a close range snap shot thwarted by the left leg of Marcus Garnham and then the Blues stopper was well placed to collect a shot from Worsfold. With sixteen minutes played the Blues added a second and it was a strike of real quality from Darren Mills. Staines skipper Brewer’s clearance near the corner flag fell to Mills in a central position who took a touch before unleashing a terrific drive from twenty odd yards that flew beyond Hudnott and nestled in the left hand corner via the right hand upright. An outstanding strike and a third goal for Darren Mills in just seven starts. Again Staines responded well to the latest setback but found Marcus Garnham in inspired form. As Leiston menacingly attacked on every occasion the game was played like a cup tie with chances at both ends. With just four minutes to the interval Driver opened the scoring for the hosts after some neat footwork, dragging the ball back from lunge of Jack Ainsley he then smashed a ten yard strike beyond the previous unpassable Marcus Garnham.

Staines, boosted by the late goal of the first half, returned on the offensive and Miller-Rodney twice forced Marcus Garnham into stops while another right wing centre flashed across the goalmouth with no home player unable to get a telling touch. The third goal of the game was always going to be important and it went to the visitors thanks to an opportunist strike from Jake Reed. Chris Henderson’s searching high ball from halfway sent Jake Reed scampering down the right flank and get goal side of Brewer. He then skipped beyond Brewer’s challenge and when losing his balance he prodded his shot through the legs of Hudnott from close range for his fourth goal for the Blues and eighteenth for the season. The goal deflated the home side and with eight minutes remaining Glen Driver’s side added a fourth. Substitutes Dominic Docherty and Patrick Brothers were involved in the build up and set up Chris Henderson, denied minutes earlier by a fine save from Hudinott, whose shot from the edge of the box was parried again by Hudnott, but Patrick Brothers reacted the quickest to slide an effort back across the Staines keeper and into the opposite corner. A terrific away win for the Blues as they move up to sixth and outside the play off’s only on goal difference with just seven games to play.

FT - Staines Town 1 Blues 4

Staines Town - Hudnott, Webb, Miller-Rodney, Solomon (B Brown 81 mins), Udoji (Martin 61 mins), Brewer, Driver, Ahmidi, Buchanan, Bettamer (Hippolyte 69 mins), Worsfold. Subs not used - D Brown and Nembhard.

Blues - Garnham, Marsden, Dunbar, Ainsley, Jefford, Bullard, Lawrence, Henderson, Reed (Knights 88 mins), Mills (Brothers 61 mins), Finch (Docherty 60 mins).

Man of the Match - Jake Reed

Attendance - 274