Pre-season opens with a draw

Leverstock Green opened their pre-season programme with a 3-3 draw at home to Bovingdon.

The three Leverstock goals were all scored within a six-minute period in the first half. In the 14th minute Jonathan Lacey was brought down by a challenge inside the box, and stepped up to net the penalty himself. In the 17th minute Chris Marsh broke out of his own half and played the ball to Casey Linsell, who threaded a perfect pass through for David Lawrence to slot home the second goal. Linsell also got the assist for the third goal, squaring for Sammy Nair to score his first goal for the club.

Bovingdon, managed by former Green skipper Lee Bircham and assisted by another ex-Leverstock favourite Louis Austin, pulled a goal back in the 39th minute after former Leverstock striker Lewis Pritchard won the ball outside the box and fed Jay Caines, who shot home past Green keeper Tom Clilverd.

The Leverstock side in the first half had been mainly returning players from last season, but for the second half only Clilverd and Shane Wood remained on the field with the rest of the side being trialists and under-18s. The second half side played well and went close with a number of efforts on goal, but could not add to the score. Midway through the half another former Leverstock striker Louis Bircham pulled a second goal back for Bovingdon with an impressive dipping shot from outside the box, and in the last minute of the game it was Louis Bircham who levelled the scores from the penalty spot.

Next up for Leverstock is a home game against AFC Dunstable on Tuesday night, kick-off 6.30 pm.