Leighton go top of the table with win over Tring

Goals came from Luke Pyman and an in-form Arche McClelland in front of 413 at Bell Close, the win putting Leighton top on goal difference above Crawley Green, on whom they have two games in hand.

And assistant manager Tony Joyce was delighted with the win.

He said: “It was a really good performance. I thought in the first-half the boys did what we’ve been asking them to do for a long time in terms of putting our chances away and defending well, against a Tring side who are on a good run, play some good football and who kept the ball well.

"The second-half wasn’t a spectacle but the damage was done in the first-half and the performance was a really good one.

"It was a fantastic crowd, they’ve been fantastic all season and myself, Lee and the boys all really appreciate it and it’s a really good asset to the club.”

Leon Lobjoit came close to opening the scoring 18 minutes in as he hit the post with an audacious lob, but it didn’t halt Leighton’s momentum and Pyman found the net just three minutes later.

Kyle Connolly whipped in a signature corner from the right and Pyman hopped up – nonchalantly flicking home his header at the near post.

Just a short while later McClelland scored a stunning goal, as latching on to a miskick from the Tring keeper, McClelland floated the ball in from a 35-yards out.

In the second half, Leighton tried to add more to the score, yet missed the same impetus as the first period. Aside from a late spree of bookings, the game ended much as it had at the end of the action-packed first half.

Now, all attention turns to this weekend and the next round of the FA Vase, as Leighton host Fakenham Town in the last 64. Fakenham lie 15th in the Thurlow Nunn Premier League, which runs parallel to Leighton’s level.

Joyce added: “We’re really looking forward to it. We’ve sent some people to watch Fakenham and they’re not bad but we take nothing for granted and it’s a great opportunity as we want to go as far as we can.”