Sloppy Defending Costs Robins

SLOPPY defending cost Ely City dear on Saturday as they slipped to a 3-1 defeat at home to Leiston.

Despite toiling at length to keep pace with the visitors, a crazed three minute period saw Denis Lightning's men surrender the game as Leiston preyed on some slack defending.

The loss sees Lightning's men slip to 17th place, with the weekend's trip to Hadleigh Town their next challenge.

The game itself was one of the only surviving fixtures in the region and the sole survivor in the Ridgeons League as heavy rain made sodden pitches positively waterlogged.

Despite a heavy pitch that made quick play almost impossible, Ely began well and had the first opening of the match early on as Simon Warren rose highest to meet an Alsop corner. Fortunately for the visitors however, skipper Warren, headed over from eight yards.

Leiston should have taken the lead themselves after 15 minutes but Lee McGlone managed to head wide from five yards with an open goal at his mercy.

It was not until the second-half that the game sparked into life once more as Shane Wardley met a low cross to poke home for the visitors. Their joy was short-lived however, as Warren equalised less than two minutes later, drilling home from outside the box.

The flurry of goals did not stop there though, as inexplicably lax defending allowed Lesiton to steal into the lead once more as Lee McGlone wandered at least 30 yards unchallenged before sublimely lobbing Lee Pacey in the Robins' goal.

The goal was a bitter blow to the Robins who had toiled relentlessly throughout to match their lofty opponents and matters soon worsened as McGlone added a second to his tally, smashing home from close range after a brief scramble in the home goal.

Tired legs in the dying minutes saw Ely's efforts to find a way back into the game largely nullified and their challenge whimpered out as Leiston closed ranks.