Spartans left Staffordshire empty handed after a 1-0 defeat to Leek Town, despite dominating the majority of the first half. Spartans enjoyed large spells of possession and had most of the chances in the first half, but it was the hosts that took the lead in stoppage time through Ollie Shenton.

Leek upped the tempo in the second half, striking the bar twice and having a goal ruled out for offside.

Blyth could have taken the lead inside first three minutes. Leek goalkeeper Dino Visser took his eyes off a simple back pass and conceded a corner. The resulting corner went straight across the face of goal with a Blyth player unable to get a touch.

Joao Gomes cut inside in the sixth minute but his strike from the edge of the box was straight at Visser. Leek won the ball high up the pitch in the 10th minute before Woodcock found himself in behind, he then went down inside the area, but the referee waved away any penalty claims.

Tom Curl intercepted a Blyth pass on the edge of his own box in the 12th minute and drove forward before playing Woodcock in again, but the attack fizzled out for a Spartans goal kick. After a bright start from the away side, Leek started to grow into the game and saw a free kick from the edge of the area go to waste, as Lucas Weir struck his attempt into the wall.

Greg Halford's long throw in the 24th minute was cleared away but only as far as Dan Savage, whose volleyed attempt struck a Leek player, the referee waved away the claims for handball from Savage. Woodcock got in behind once again in the 31st minute but he got the ball stuck under his feet and saw the chance go abegging. With 10 minutes remaining of the first half, Spartans continued to create chances.

This time skipper Nicky Deveredics saw his outside of the foot cross from the right claimed by Visser. Two minutes later it was Spartans on the attack again, with Savage's curling cross agonisingly too high for Gomes at the back post. The home side had their first shot on target in the 38th minute when Tim Grice's speculative half volley was fired straight at Bond.

The hosts took the lead in stoppage time of the first half when Grice headed a cross from the right back across goal to Shenton who slotted the ball into the bottom corner following a late run into the box.

Half time: Leek Town 1-0 Blyth Spartans

The home side started the second half the brighter of the two teams and Bond was forced into a great save in the 54th minute with Grice's effort from close range heading for the bottom corner.

Leek then struck the bar from the resulting corner. Bond was forced into action once again, this time to deny Woodcock from inside the area after some good link up play form the hosts. The hosts struck the bar again in the 66th minute with a strike from distance, Grise then turned in the rebound, but he was deemed to be in an offside position.

A Blyth corner in the 80th minute resulted in a shot from the edge of the box by Billy Gordon, but his effort was straight at Visser. Deverdics tried his luck in the 88th minute with a free kick from distance but Visser got down well to his left to make sure the ball didn't sneak inside the post.

Spartans nearly found an equaliser when substitute Harry Gardiner connected to a cross with a header late into stoppage time, but his effort was agonisingly saved by Visser before the referee brought a close to proceedings.

Full time: Leek Town 1-0 Blyth Spartans

Leek Town | Dino Visser ©, Liam Buckley, Ollie Heywood, Liam Edwards (Nathan Okome 30'), Lucas Weir, Tom Curl, Max Woodcock (Tyreece Onyeka 75'), Adam Porter, Tim Grice, Ollie Shenton, Joe Woolley (Tom Scully 78').

Goals | Ollie Shenton 45+2'

Subs not used | Conor Robson, Brendon Daniels

Blyth Spartans | Harrison Bond, Louis Stephenson, Joel Holvey (Mitch Curry 83'), Ryan Donaldson, Joe Oliver, Greg Halford, Billy Gordon (Ben Milburn 90'), Michael Woods, Dan Savage (Harry Gardiner 66'), Joao Gomes (Lucas Reed 65'), Nicky Deverdics

Subs not used | Michael Hogan.

Yellow Cards | Joel Holvey 67'

Referee | David Hinton

Assistant Referees | Brad Cope and Danny Meers

Spartans next game is at Croft Park against Gainsborough Trinity on Saturday October 19, with a 3pm kick off.