Double award winner out for the season

Leek Town defender Dan Smith has been ruled out for the remainder of the EVO-STIK Northern Premier League campaign.

The 28-year-old, pictured, has been out of action since being carried off at Stocksbridge Park Steels on 28 October.

On Monday, disappointed officials at Harrison Park confirmed that his most recent scan results had revealed cruciate ligament damage requiring surgery.

Blues boss Lee Casswell rued the loss of a player who has won a place in the EVO-STIK NPL's First Division South Team of the Year for the last two season and is in his second spell at the club having passed the 100 appearances mark last term.

Casswell said: "The lad is obviously gutted to be out of action but I’d like to thank the chairman and the board of directors for looking after him over recent weeks and months."

After leaving the club in 2007, Smith went on to play for Nantwich Town, Rocester and Kidsgrove Athletic before returning in July 2012.

In other news, Leek chairman Andy Wain and Casswell have come out in support of the club's ground staff, hailing them for working tirelessly over the last few weeks on what is historically a difficult surface.

Wain said: "We would like to thank all members of the ground staff after they managed to get the Harrison Park pitch fit enough for the game on Saturday despite atrocious conditions leading up to the game.

"We all know what a difficult task it is but hopefully they can keep up with getting the pitch ready for action for what is left of the winter – it is vitally important that we get all our home matches on as we continue to play catch-up."

Follow us: @evostikleague on Twitter | The NPL group on Facebook by clicking here: www.facebook.com/groups/TheNPL/