Match Report

Leverstock Green face a home replay in their FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round tie against Edgware Town on Tuesday night after a free kick deep into stoppage time denied them a win they would have very much deserved. As in Tuesday night’s match at Tring, Leverstock played some excellent football and created many chances, but again they did not get the goals that their dominance merited, leaving them vulnerable to a last-gasp stunner.

Former Luton Town goalkeeper Craig King, who has signed for Leverstock as a striker, took his place between the sticks today with no other keeper available, and his ability and experience in the position was evident throughout the match. The Green side created chances from early on in the game. In the 4th minute a corner went just over the head of skipper Shane Wood, back in the side after returning from holiday. Two minutes later a pass from Chris Marsh put Sam Nair through but Edgware keeper Cain Davies came out to save at his feet.

In the 11th minute Jonathan Lacey hit a fierce long-distance effort on the run which Davies did well to parry away, and seconds later Davies saved another effort from Ross Adams. In the 14th minute Lacey played a great ball out wide to Adams, who played it inside for Zak Howells, who shaped to shoot but instead squared for Nair, whose shot went wide.

There was an early injury blow as Alex Marsh had to leave the game in the 18th minute to be replaced by Luke Preedy, but in the 30th minute Leverstock finally got their deserved goal. A ball down the left touchline found Lacey, who beat a defender and cut inside before playing a low ball into the box for Ross Adams to slot home from six yards out.

It could have been two in the 36th minute when Lacey took the ball out of defence and played another great pass to put Nair through on goal, but his shot was kept out by Davies. A minute before the break a free kick from Casey Linsell again just eluded the head of Wood. Three minutes into first half stoppage time Lacey ran clear of the defence and squared the ball to set up David Lawrence with a great chance but Davies produced another wonderful save to keep it out with the last touch of the half.

Again, as at Tring on Tuesday night, Leverstock were not as impressive in the second half, although they still created enough chances to have won the game comfortably. Edgware had one of their few chances on 52 minutes when a blocked shot fell into the path of Mikkel James, who shot over the bar. It should have been 2-0 in the 65th minute when Chris Marsh floated in a free kick and Wood headed it across goal, but Lawrence somehow put the ball wide from a couple of yards out. Lawrence had another effort eight minutes later that went just over the bar.

In the 81st minute 16 year old substitute Mason Tunbridge almost clinched the game when he ran onto a pass from Howells and hit a shot which took a big deflection, but yet again Davies produced a miraculous save to keep it out. A minute later Lacey went close again, hitting a shot just wide after a solo run.

As the game went into stoppage time Leverstock still looked comfortable, although they did not take advantage of a couple of opportunities to take the ball into the corner and run the clock down. This came back to haunt them when the referee penalised a foul by Lewis Bowers to give Edgware a free kick a yard outside the box deep into stoppage time. King lined up his wall well enough, but they could do nothing to stop a great effort from Ethan Mooney, who curled the ball over the wall and in off the underside of the crossbar to rescue a draw and give his side another chance in the replay.

For Leverstock it was a draw that would have felt more like a defeat, but Scott Dash and Mark Royal must pick their side up and complete the job in Tuesday night’s replay, kick-off 7.30 pm at Pancake Lane.