Leighton Town drew with Barking in the FA Cup Preliminary Round on Saturday to take the game back to Bell Close. Despite being scoreless at the 3G Mayesbrooke Park, the match still featured drama including a penalty shout, missed chances and a late dismissal.
The game began in tense fashion with not too much to report in the opening 20 minutes, yet Leighton slowly started to make inroads. Mustapha Dumbuya worked the ball well on the left to cross. Leon Lobjoit couldn’t direct his header on 25’ as it just flew wide.
After yet another tense period, Town would be active again just before the half was out. Here the first moment of controversy would arise. The hosts didn’t deal with a corner and as it bobbled around, Lewis Toomey slammed it goalward. It hit the underside of the bar and bounced down on the line. All in red appealed for the goal but it was waved away.
The visitors came out of the break looking to build on little opportunity in the first half and had a great opening through James Towell. Latching on to a pull back from the left, sadly he got under his shot and it ballooned over. On 70’ Barking had a few good shots in quick succession – their first real chances of note as they grew into the game.
Leighton seemed the more likely of the two to score and the last ten saw more missed efforts. Identical crosses with five minutes between them saw Lobjoit and McClelland miss very similar headers at the left post. It started to look like the goal just wasn’t going to come. This would be cruelly compounded when a penalty shout was ignored on 85’. Lobjoit crossed from the left and it hit the defender’s outstretched arm. The ref was unmoved. What made matters worse was Gary Connolly’s red card on 90’ – the linesman consulting the referee, tipping the scales on a late foul.
Now, Leighton prepare for Tuesday’s replay at Bell Close and also await the next potential opponent continuing in the FA Cup draw.

LTFC XI: Xavi Comas; James Towell, Connolly, Connolly (C), Goodman, Pyman, Dumbuya, Spaul, Toomey, Lobjoit, Turner.
Subs: McClelland, Marsh, Harvey, Fitzgerald, Butler, Marsh-Brown, Cooper.

Report by Max Bradfield