Match Report

Leverstock Green fell to a dramatic stoppage time defeat in Tuesday night’s SSML Premier Division game at Cockfosters. Leverstock had enough chances to have won the game, but failed to take them, and in the end it was a deserved win for a hard-working Cockfosters side.

The home side had a good chance to open the scoring in the 11th minute when a cross from the left was poorly defended. Yacine Aiba had a clear shooting chance but hit it wide. Leverstock had a good spell midway through the half when they created several chances. In the 20th minute Alex Witham went on a solo run before hitting a shot which was turned wide by keeper Adam Seymour.

Two minutes later Witham played the ball through to Alex Yearwood, who shot wide. A minute later Yearwood played a great one-two with Chris Blunden to go clean through, but Seymour saved with his legs. In the 25th minute Witham headed a cross from Mark Smith down to Blunden, but his shot was saved by Seymour.

On 32 minutes Cockfosters had another good chance when a short goal kick put the Green defence under pressure, but Tobi Omutosho shot wide from the edge of the box. Two minutes later at the other end Seymour saved again from a shot by Jude Bell, and on 40 minutes Arvydas Kacinkevicius had to produce his first save of the game, turning a good shot from Aiba round the post. Two minutes before the break Seymour gathered a long-range shot from Reynaldo Carbon to ensure that the first half ended goalless.

Just before the hour Leverstock had another near miss when Witham sent over a free kick and Luke Preedy’s glancing header went just wide. However, the home side then had a good spell. They should have gone in front on 62 minutes from a corner but Adam Murad headed over the bar from close range. A minute later they did go in front when a ball was chased to the bye-line and put across the face of goal, where George Beattie was all alone to slide the ball under Kacinkevicius from close range.

Leverstock came close to an equaliser on 76 minutes when Blunden hit a long-range free kick which Seymour did well to parry away. However, two minutes later a great pass from Witham allowed Preedy to get in behind the defence, and when Preedy went down under a challenge from Chris Arkoh, the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Blunden stepped up to take the kick, and successfully found the net to level the scores at 1-1.

The last few minutes saw action in both penalty areas with Carbon putting Leverstock’s best chance over the bar. Two minutes into stoppage time it looked like Kacinkevicius had preserved a point for his side when he turned away a shot from Sam Ruff on the break. However, there was still time for another Cockfosters attack in the fourth minute of stoppage time, and Beattie broke away to slot the ball past the advancing Kacinkevicius to snatch a last-gasp victory for his side.

A disappointing result in the end, but the Green side must pick themselves up for Saturday’s home match against Oxhey Jets, which will be only their second home league match of the season.