Smith nets injury time winner for the Blues

With so many player and club connections this game was always liable to be keenly contested.

Leighton started strongly, pushing forward from the kick off, and Lewis McBride attacked winning a corner that Dave Murphy headed just over the bar.

Just a minute later Alex O’Brian dispossessed Phil Payne in the centre and ran through, firing off a good shot that brought a good save out of Robbie Ponting.

An Arlesey free kick was well met with a towering header from James Hatch but it was straight at the keeper.

However the move of the game can on 19 minutes. James Hatch played a ball out to Ash Fuller and in a move from the training ground he cut in and pulled a pass back along the edge of the box to Aarron Browne who slid the ball into the net.

Arlesey were now starting to impose themselves; Demi Debola made one of his surging runs from the back, beating two defenders, but his shot was wide.

The second half started with a good shot from Lorrell Smith that forced a good save from Wyant and an Arlesey free kick saw a shot from Fuller that pulled another save from the keeper.

A really good shot from O’Brien saw Ponting pull off the best save of the day as he stretched and pushed it around the post for a corner. However from this Kelvin Osei Adue had an easy free header as he lost his marker to head home and make it 1-1 on 55 minutes.

In the 70th minute Junior Muya went down injured and a stretcher was called as the game stopped for the Arlesey physio to pop his displaced knee cap back into place.

The breakthrough came in the 93rd minute as sub Ricky Lawrence pulled back at the far post and headed back across the goal, this may have gone in but Lorrell Smith showed his predatory instincts and headed it over the line from close range for the winner.

Next up Arlesey start in the FA Vase v Irchester at home.