Match Report

Leverstock Green ended up frustrated after a goalless encounter with Arlesey Town. The Green side had the better of the play throughout, played some slick passing football and created a number of chances but could not get the ball in the net.

From early in the game it was clear that the visitors were set up to defend. Leverstock enjoyed a lot of possession and sprayed passes all round the pitch, but when it came to the final third the Arlesey defence proved an immovable object.

A handball just outside the box in the 15th minute gave Leverstock a chance from a free kick. Ibrahim Nagheeb’s first effort came back off the wall, but his second effort was deflected just wide. From the resulting corner Bobby Armstrong headed wide.

Three minutes later there was another in the succession of excellent corners delivered by Nagheeb, which found the head of Alvin Kyeremeh, but his header was diverted over the bar by the head of Will McClelland. Another corner in the 29th minute dropped for Armstrong inside the box, but his shot was cleared off the line, and in the 34th minute Kyeremeh got on the end of another Nagheeb corner but headed over the bar.

In the 40th minute a pass from Nagheeb gave Elgeniy Daalberg a run at goal, but his eventual shot was across goal and wide. The best chance of the half came a minute before the break when Kyeremeh was through on goal, but keeper Ollie Skinner kept his shot out.

The first half had been almost one-way traffic with Leverstock playing down the slope. Arlesey had the slope in their favour in the second half and had some isolated chances. Green keeper Tautvydas Poniskaitis made his first save of the game in the 59th minute to keep out a shot from Gabriel Ryan.

A double substitution in the 65th minute saw Chris Blunden and Richard Ennin enter the game, but Leverstock were still unable to convert their dominance into goals. A goalmouth scramble in the 69th minute saw a Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica headed onto the bar by a defender, and a follow-up effort from Stefanoaica was sliced wide from close range.

Scott McGleish came off the bench in the 80th minute and a minute later got on the end of a cross from Kyeremeh, but headed wide. A shot from Kyeremeh in the 84th minute went just over the bar.

As the game went into stoppage time Leverstock continued to pile pressure on the Arlesey goal from further corners that were delivered into the danger zone by Nagheeb, but the ball could not be forced over the line. Arlesey could have won the game deep into stoppage time as Tom Millett floated the ball forward to Jaime Nvuba, who headed wide from a good chance.

MOM went to young left-back Kurainashe Musanhi, who was excellent both in his defensive duties and in attacking down the left flank.

Leverstock Green 0
1. Tautvydas Poniskaitis, 2. Alvin Kyeremeh, 3. Kurainashe Musanhi, 4. Dan Weeks, 18. Bobby Armstrong, 6. Adrian Pitfield, 7. Elgeniy Daalberg (12. Chris Blunden 65 mins), 8. Ethan Mooney (16. Ayomide Oke 90+1 mins), 9. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (20. Scott McGleish 80 mins), 10. Ibrahim Nagheeb, 11. Luke Beckwith (14. Richard Ennin 65 mins). Sub not used: 15. Raheem Khan.
Arlesey Town 0
1. Ollie Skinner, 2. Tom Millett, 3. Vinnie Baker (15. Matt Gilbert 75 mins), 5. Will McClelland, 6. Dan Wappett, 7. Gabriel Ryan (14. Jaime Nvuba 55 mins), 9. Luke Smith (16. Dimagio Robinson 68 mins), 10. Bruno Brito, 11. Reece Crowter, 12. Dan Udanoh, 17. Alex Taylor (8. Freddie Stanley 68 mins). Sub not used: 4. Adam Randall.