A match that had started so well for North Leigh ended in a heavy 5-2 defeat by hosts Bishops Cleeve after a disastrous second-half display on Saturday.

Five minutes before half-time in this Zamaretto Southern League Division 1 South & West encounter, North Leigh were leading 2-0.

But an injury to their skipper Stuart Huxley at the start of the second half turned the game on its head.

The visitors struck first when, following good work by Matty Taylor, Simon Futcher hit a superb shot from the edge of the box which went in via the underside of the bar giving home keeper Tom King no chance.

They doubled their lead on when Aaron Posey crossed to Taylor, who set up Futcher for his second goal, this time chosing his spot from 15 yards.

Home defender Sam Avery reduced the arrears before half-time when from a free kick, he hooked the ball past keeper Sam Warrell from close range.

Bishops Cleeve levelled straight after the interval when Elliot Kennedy beat a couple of Leigh defenders to a 50-50 ball and poked it past the stranded Warrell.

Three minutes later Kennedy scored a similarly soft goal to put the home side ahead.

The visitors’ misery was compounded after 66 minutes when a Cleeve shot was deflected past Warrell by visiting defender Joe Burnell.

Kennedy then headed in from a corner top seal the home win and his hat-trick.

North Leigh: Warrell, Posey, Caton, Hole, Huxley (Helby 48), Burnell (Saunders 73), Reardon (Blackwell 80), Futcher, Taylor, McCabe, Allen.

Attendance: 74.

Banbury United’s Premier Division game at home to Swindon Supermarine and Abingdon United’s trip to Bracknell Town in Division 1 South & West were both abandoned due to frozen pitches on Saturday.