A FRENETIC opening period cost Ely City dear on Saturday as they lost out 3-2 at league-leaders Leiston. Suffering from an overwhelming lack of confidence following an 8-0 hammering by Histon in midweek, the Robins conceded three goals in fourteen first-h

A FRENETIC opening period cost Ely City dear on Saturday as they lost out 3-2 at league-leaders Leiston.

Suffering from an overwhelming lack of confidence following an 8-0 hammering by Histon in midweek, the Robins conceded three goals in fourteen first-half minutes as Leiston capitalised on the chaos in Ely's midst.

Boss Denis Lightning, said: "In the end I think we did enough to earn a point but I've told the players we cant wait until we concede two or three before we start playing.

"After the third goal went in, we were really fearing the worst but for some reason the players decided to start playing and from then on we really dominated the play, in the second half they got into our box on just one occasion."

Two goals from Stuart Boardley together with a damaging own-goal put Ely three goals down in just 14 minutes as league-leaders Leiston dominated the play.

After regrouping at half-time, the Robins came out a wholly transformed team and were soon back in the match as a goal-mouth scramble was forced home after 65 minutes.

Buoyed by the breakthrough, Ely poured forward and had Leiston on the rack as Jamie Aalsop made it 3-2 with a thundering drive from the edge of the box.

In the final minutes, Simon Warren had a header cleared off the line and Robbie Mason had his effort superbly saved by the home keeper, but it wasn't to be for Ely who face CRC at home on Tuesday evening.