Conference: Leworthy looks to the long term by Nicholas Harling

DAVID Leworthy must have been only half joking when, on the coach back from Kingstonian's 2-1 victory at Morecambe, he suggested to club manager Geoff Chapple: "Are we going to discuss this five-year contract?"

Although one day past his 37th birthday, Leworthy still had a valid argument. The former Spurs striker had just returned from a three-match suspension to score not only Kingstonian's winner - from Colin Luckett's fine through ball - but a beautiful goal, according to Chapple, in the 3-0 midweek FA Cup replay win at Boston.

"I had to laugh," said Chapple. "But the way David is going we won't be able to write him off for another couple of years."

Kingstonian had not scored during Leworthy's ban. "We never had the chances then that we've had since David's been back," explained a less than magnanimous Chapple who was, nevertheless, offered a slice of Leworthy's birthday cake on the long trip home.

Leworthy's 12th goal of the season came after Derek Allan headed Kingstonian in front. Morecambe's equaliser came from Darren Lyons with a speculative cross.

And as Carl Orford saved Stevenage with two goals, including a last-minute equaliser, in a 3-3 draw at Northwich, Rushden & Diamonds stayed top with a 1-0 win at Scarborough.

KINGSTONIAN LEAD THE WAY

THE LEADERSHIP of the Nationwide Conference could change hands again tomorrow when Rushden & Diamonds entertain the current front-runners, Kingstonian, at Nene Park in non-League football's match of the day. The Northamptonshire outfit, who trail Kingstonian by two points, will become the fourth team to top the league in the last fortnight if they win tomorrow. Yeovil Town and Stevenage Borough have also been out in front in recent weeks.

Kingstonian warmed up for the trip to Rushden by lifting the JC Thompson Championship Shield, which is presented to the winners of an annual challenge match between the Conference champions and the FA Umbro Trophy holders, with a 1-0 win at Cheltenham Town on Tuesday. The former Plymouth and Luton striker Dwight Marshall scored the only goal of the game, taking the ball round the home goalkeeper just prior to half-time.

"We used the match as a yardstick to see how far we have come," Geoff Chapple, Kingstonian's manager, said after his team had beaten the Conference champions. "We were very good value for our win in what was a surprisingly competitive game. Now we need to play like that against Rushden." Chapple was pleased to see Marshall find his form after a spell out of the starting line-up, because the 34-year-old will have to deputise for David Leworthy, the Conference's joint top-scorer, who starts a three-game ban tomorrow.

Kingstonian will find out on Monday who they will face when they begin their efence of the Trophy, when the draw for the second round, due to be played on 27 November, takes place. One of the top ties in tomorrow's first round sees Tiverton, the FA Carlsberg Vase winners in 1998 and 1999, make their Trophy debut with a home tie against Dorchester.