Leverstock Green played their first home pre-season friendly, and came out on top by a 5-2 scoreline against Pitstone and Ivinghoe on Saturday.
Rio Beach brought a save out of the visiting keeper in the second minute, and Leverstock had the ball in the net in the 6th minute, but Ryan Hennessy’s shot was ruled out for offside. Leverstock were having much more of the play, and finally took the lead in the 24th minute. A corner was not cleared, and as Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica’s shot was blocked across goal, Dan Weeks pounced to shoot home from six yards. A second goal arrived within a minute as Stefanoaica shot home from the edge of the box.
George Mitchell-Gears hit a shot just over the bar in the 33rd minute, but added his name to the scoresheet in the 41st minute. Danny May’s low free kick was deflected across goal off a defender and Mitchell-Gears had the space to control the ball and slot it home. In first half stoppage time Stefanoaica shot home from close range for his second and Leverstock’s fourth goal of the game.
Fergus Moore made a number of changes at half time, and Pitstone pulled a goal back in the 54th minute with an excellent dipping shot from the edge of the box. Three minutes later Leverstock re-established their four-goal cushion as Ryan Carruthers scored an impressive solo goal, trapping the ball outside the box before driving into the box and smashing home a shot.
Leverstock continued to push forward but couldn’t add any more to their tally, and a close-range header three minutes from time pulled another goal back for the visitors as the game ended 5-2.
The previous Tuesday night Leverstock had travelled to Tithe Farm for the second time in three days, this time to face Rayners Lane. Luke Beckwith was the goalscorer in a 4-1 defeat, and there was a big blow as Ethan Mooney was injured in a collision with the metal pitch surround and required surgery for a 4-inch gash on his knee.
The Development Team, managed by Steve Hale, played their first pre-season friendly on Saturday, which resulted in a 2-2 draw against Essex Olympian League side Manford Way.