LEISTON made it back-to-back home wins and consecutive clean sheets with another determined single goal victory at the Flannery Stadium on Saturday afternoon writes Craig Cooper.

Adam Mills was the hero of the hour notching the only, and winning goal, just 11 minutes in when he pounced on a through ball and netted past Banbury 'keeper Jack Harding.

It was no more than the Blues deserved in what was another gritty display by Chris Wigger's team, where looking for a player of the match in blue was like looking for trees in a wood.

The win moved Leiston up a place in the Southern League Premier Division Central table and now just six points off the play-offs, with six games to go.

Chris Wigger brought Jake Jessup in goal, in place of Billy Johnson and Marcus Mehew, who were unavailable. Ben Batho came into the starting XI in place of Joao Rangel who was away with Timor-Leste on international duty.

Mills went close with just a minute played before Banbury won a corner on three minutes and the effort landed on Jake Jessup’s netting.

The hosts though took the lead when Jessup’s long kick was flicked on by Ronnie Blois and then Willie Clemons, with the ball landing in the path of Mills who lifted the ball over Harding and then put the ball into the empty net.

On 16 minutes, Alex Worley then shot wide for the visitors before Aaron McCreadie’s free kick was punched away well by Jessup.

Seb Dunbar did enough to put off Keegan Bloom inside the Blues box on 21 minutes to make an easy save for Jessup.

Three minutes later, and Batho got forward down the Blues right to cross into the box for Mills who met the ball at the back post but Harding made to save to his right.

As the half went on, Leiston did well to stop attacks on their goal. Jessup came to punch away deliveries into the box while Kyle Callan-McFadden did well to cut out a ball from the away side’s right. On 42 minutes, Jessup made a great save with his legs and Dunbar cleared away the ball for a corner before Leiston broke up field from the set piece as Jack Manly and Mills linked up well to set Blois up, but he dragged his strike just wide of Harding’s right hand post.

Jessup made a great save to deny Reece Flanagan on 55 minutes, diving to his right hand side, before Callan-McFadden then made a great block as he threw himself at the ball to deny a shot on goal.

The away side put some decent deliveries into the Leiston area but Jessup and Leiston defenders did well to deny them a clear shot on goal.

Connor Ferguson strike well wide on 71 minutes while Eddie Jackson had to make a fine block on 78 minutes. In stoppage time, Mills shot over inside the box as Leiston saw out the six minutes of stoppage time to take three more points.

FT: Leiston 1 Banbury United 0

The Blues are in action next on Good Friday (3 April) when they head to Redditch United in league action.

Line-ups;

Blues: Jessup, Dunbar, Callan-McFadden, Alexander, Blois, Manly (Frostick 65 mins), Mills, Batho, Clemons (Hill 79 mins), Armin. Subs not used: Parlett, Rayworth and Jarvis.

Banbury United: Harding, Bloom, Worley, Flanagan, Nantwi-Ofosu, Jones (Stokoe 46 mins), McCreadie, Abimbola, Wreh, Ferguson, Alabi (Ball 46 mins). Subs not used: Wahlen, Okito and Prosser.

Man Of The Match, selected by Match Sponsors, CLINKS CARE FARM: Adam Mills

Attendance: 220