Brentwood Town’s four game unbeaten run comes to an end and halts their survival chase, after a 2-0 home defeat to Leiston at the Arena.
Neither side could break the deadlock in the first half but in the second half Billy Clark slotted in from close range to give the visitors the lead.
Leiston had lost their previous four matches and as Brentwood pushed for an equaliser the away side got the second in injury time from a deflected Clark shot.
Mike Flanagan made two changes to his side that drew 3-3 at home to Canvey Island, as Bradley Nobbs starts in place of the injured Lewis Knight and Shad Ngandu is preferred to Mitch Hahn.
Marcus Milner returned to ‘The Blues’ from Cheshunt and made the bench for the home side.
With just five minutes on the clock, Brentwood almost took the lead as Robbie Rees’ corner was whipped in and came back off the crossbar but was cleared from danger.
Leiston had a half chance shortly after, as Kelsey Trotter took on a strike from a loose ball but was comfortable for Ollie Bowles.
Brentwood nearly broke the deadlock 38 minutes in, from quick play by Bowles up field for Tom Richardson and Robbie Rees. The ball eventually fell to Andrew Freeman at the far post but his drilled shot across the six-yard box could not be turned in.
The visitors still made their attacking threat known, after a high ball into the box by Stuart Boardley was won by Leon Ottley-Gooch beating Bowles to the ball but his header went wide.
In the second half, Leiston grabbed the lead just after the hour mark, as Louis Baucutt was dispossessed by Ottley-Gooch who whipped it across the box and was tucked away by Clark at the far post.
Brentwood nearly got the leveller through Shad Ngandu, as the ball broke to him just inside the box he cut back inside and his shot was well held by Ashlee Jones.
‘The Blues’ pushed for the equaliser, which did not come and Leiston doubled their lead in injury time, as Clark’s shot took a wicked deflection off the Brentwood defender and crept in the near post to seal the three points.
Brentwood remain 22nd eight points off safety with six games in hand, facing third placed Dulwich Hamlet at the Arena on Saturday.
Brentwood Town Lineup: 1 Ollie Bowles, 2 Leon Gordon, 3 Louis Baucutt, 4 Martyn Stokes ©, 5 Ryan O’Rawe, 18 Shad Ngandu, 7 Bradley Nobbs (77), 8 Connor Witherspoon, 9 Tom Richardson, 10 Robbie Rees, 11 Andrew Freeman
Substitutes: 12 Mitch Hahn, 14 Marcus Milner (77), 15 Chris Manangu, 16 Joshua Banton, 17 Dwade James
Leiston Lineup: 1 Ashlee Jones, 2 Jack Ainsley, 3 Stuart Boardley, 4 Toby Kerslake, 5 Joe Jefford, 6 Tom Bullard ©, 7 Jack Baker, 8 Kelsey Trotter, 9 Leon Ottley-Gooch, 10 Tom Winter, 11 Billy Clark
Substitutes: 12 Christy Finch, 13 Alex Rossis, 14 Will Oxbrow, 15 Aaron Thurlow, 16 Gareth Heath
Attendance: 98
Interview with Brentwood Town Manager Mike Flanagan:
