REPORT | Leek Town 2-2 Widnes (Widnes win 5-4 on penalties)

Widnes came from two goals down before beating Leek Town on penalties to reach the last 16 of the Integro Cup.

Leek had led 2-0 on the hour-mark with Jacob Twyford netting twice, but the visiting Whites fought back through substitutes Ben Hodkinson and James Murray, with the latter equalising inside second-half stoppage time.

Goalkeeper Tom Scott then saved two of Leek’s seven spot-kicks to give Widnes a 5-4 shootout triumph, with Hodkinson, Jay Roberts, Amir Hajri, Michael Grogan and Mike Burke all converting their spot-kicks.

James Steele and Murray missed from 12 yards, but it mattered little as Scott’s saves and Charlie Walford’s skied effort handed the tie to Widnes.

The result continues the Whites’ recent upturn in form in the New Year, but Steve Akrigg and Kev Towey’s side made hard work of it against a youthful Leek side.

In fact, the leaders of the Northern Premier League Division One South/East division made nine changes with manager Neil Baker clearly prioritising his side’s promotion charge with a trip to Market Drayton Town to come on Saturday.

Aware that a run in this competition could potentially spark momentum in their league campaign, Widnes fielded a more or less full-strength side with only two changes to the side that won at Droylsden last time out.

Eoin Ashton and George Webster came in for Fisnik Hajdari and Murray who both dropped to the bench, with Webster making his 50th appearance in a Widnes shirt.

Both sides initially struggled to find a rhythm in a first half that lacked real quality, with Sam Adetiloye’s long-range snapshot proving to be Widnes’ only real sight of goal with goalkeeper Ben Cortes-Smith forced into a fairly comfortable save.

Leek were soon in front. Twyford won possession back for the hosts and went alone, finishing calmly beyond Scott, taking his shot on early to find the far corner.

Scott was equal to a Twyford effort late in the half, making himself big to make a decent block with his legs.

It was an otherwise lacklustre opening 45 minutes from a Widnes side that carried into the second half, and the visitors soon found themselves 2-0 down through a goal of their own doing.

Grogan’s mis-placed pass was intercepted by Jack Hurd who swiftly teed up Twyford to add his second to put Leek seemingly on course for a place in the third round.

Widnes had to go for it, and the introduction of Hodkinson in place of the largely ineffective Anointed Chukwu offered the visitors renewed energy and new ideas.

In fact, the striker almost made an immediate impact but agonisingly couldn’t get on the end of Ashton’s cross within 60 seconds of his arrival from the bench.

The like-for-like change of Murray in place of Rhain Hellawell looked to exploit a tiring Leek defence, and he was quickly involved, finding Ashton with a decent squared pass but Cortes-Smith made the save.

On the 77-minute mark, Widnes were back in the game. The two substitutes combined as Murray pounced on a Matt Bell effort and drove to the byline, providing a driven cross for Hodkinson to turn home to halve the visitors’ deficit.

Twyford went close to his hat-trick two minutes later, but he spurned a gilt-edged opportunity to surely secure Leek’s passage through as he shot wide of the far-post from a decent position.

Chances were shared as time ticked away. Widnes saw a big chance go begging as Steele’s fine cross narrowly evaded Murray at the back-post, who would have been disappointed not to equalise, while Aaron Bott forced a good save out of Scott as Leek pushed for a winner.

Late drama seems to follow Widnes in this competition. They edged an 11-goal thriller 6-5 in the first round at Nantwich Town, with Burke scoring a stoppage time stunner to set up a meeting with Leek.

And the Whites served up a late, late show once again.

A long diagonal ball caused havoc in the Leek penalty area. Tom Williamson failed to clear the danger, with Murray reacting quickest to equalise for his side and send the tie to penalties.

Hodkinson stepped up first and successfully found the net and Leek were seemingly in trouble after missing two of their first three spot-kicks.

Baker’s men clawed back level to halt Widnes’ momentum after Steele saw his effort saved while Murray hit the post, with the shootout being sent to sudden death after Lewis Keenan made it 3-3 after five penalties each.

But Widnes held their nerve as centre-halves Grogan and Burke both found the net, with the pressure firmly on Leek substitute Matt Ball in the seventh round of spot-kicks.

Ball stepped up, but Scott made the save to continue his fine start to life in a Widnes shirt and book his side a place in the competition’s last 16.