Match Report

Last season it took Leverstock Green from December until March to get their third win in the Southern League, and the third win is proving equally elusive this season for Fergus Moore’s side, with ten games having passed since their last win in August. Leverstock were somewhat fortunate to come away with a point from tonight’s game against bottom side Rayners Lane, with Joe McCarthy popping up in stoppage time to net an equaliser.

Leverstock made a promising start to this game. In the 7th minute Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica, in the starting lineup tonight, delivered a cross which Jeffrey Sekyere headed over. Two minutes later a pass from Ryan Carruthers gave Stefanoaica the chance to beat a defender but his eventual shot went wide. In the 27th minute a pass from Marcus Warren put Sekyere through but his shot was across goal and wide. Five minutes later a long throw from Dan Casey bounced up for Sekyere, but his header from close range was saved by the keeper.

The chances kept on coming. On 35 minutes a cross from Stefanoaica was missed by the keeper but just eluded McCarthy coming in at the far post. Four minutes later McCarthy was in from a Carruthers pass, but couldn’t get a shot in. The ball ran for Sekyere, whose shot was saved, and then back to McCarthy, who was upended in the box by a challenge from Bobby Bircham. The referee awarded the penalty, and Sekyere sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot to net his fifth goal in successive games.

That should have been the springboard for Leverstock to go on and take control of the game, but in the last minute of the half they were undone by a pass which put former Leverstock striker Guiseppe Delgaudio through on goal. Harry Way came out his goal to make a challenge but Delgaudio went past him to slot into the empty net for a 1-1 half time scoreline.

Having played well in the first half, Leverstock’s second half display was very disappointing. Rayners Lane were looking the better side now, and there was a sense of inevitability about their 74th minute goal which put them in front. Bradley Walsh netted from close range after a free kick was not cleared for a 2-1 scoreline.

Leverstock seemed unable to create anything around the Rayners Lane box, and had scarcely had a shot in the second half as the game went into stoppage time. But in the third of the four minutes indicated, a flick on found McCarthy in the box, and he beat a defender before slotting under the keeper for a very welcome Leverstock equaliser to claim what might be another crucial point. It was an eighth draw in 14 league games for Leverstock this season.

Leverstock Green (1) 2 (Sekyere 39 pen, McCarthy 90+3)
1. Harry Way, 2. Dan Casey, 3. Rio Beach, 4. Josh Dooley, 20. Tommy Boxer (14. Iker Noguera Leon 79 mins), 6. Ryan Carruthers (12. Nat Connolly 74 mins), 7. Joe McCarthy, 8. Dan Pett, 9. Jeffrey Sekyere, 10. Marcus Warren (16. Juan Pablo Velasco 61 mins), 11. Radu-Mihai Stefanoaica (18. Jack Allen 74 mins). Sub not used: 15. Ethan Mooney.
Rayners Lane (1) 2 (Delgaudio 45, Walsh 74)
1. Charlie Patmore, 2. Bobby Bircham (15. Kean Graver 59 mins), 3. Reece Jhuti, 4. Sam Denham, 5. Kyle Clifford, 6. Johnny Wilson, 7. Frankie Bircham, 8. Mweembe Chiabi, 9. Guiseppe Delgaudio (12. Samuel Adetiba 73 mins), 10. Jeremy Stewart (16. London Brookshaw 70 mins), 11. Bradley Walsh (17. Shakeel Naim 88 mins). Sub not used: 14. Qasim Khan.