Match Report

Leverstock Green’s hopes of progressing in the Gladwish/SSML Spring Cup are hanging by a thread after a heavy defeat at Harefield United in their third group game.

The game was evenly contested early on, with Adi Connolly pushing a long-range shot from Austin Schofield over the bar in the 13th minute, and Adiel Mannion hitting a shot from distance just over the bar at the other end four minutes later. Leverstock were forced into a change after half-an-hour with Lewis Collins picking up an ankle injury in a challenge with the Harefield keeper, and being replaced by Ollie Lawford, who himself needed treatment just seconds after coming on after a strong challenge.

Harefield took the lead in the 36th minute from a free kick near the corner flag. Samuel Shaw may have been attempting a cross rather than a shot, but the ball curled over the outstretched arm of Connolly and straight into the net. A second Harefield goal three minutes later put them firmly in control. This time Shaw was provider, threading a pass to Richard Pacquette, who slipped the ball over Connolly into the net.

The home side should have been reduced to ten men a minute before the break when Thomas Payne aimed a wild kick at John Smith, but the referee showed only a yellow card.

Leverstock needed an early goal in the second half to get back into the game, but seldom looked like being able to create one. Just after the hour Connolly made two great saves in quick succession to keep his side in with a glimmer of hope, but the sin-binning of Mickey Shuttlewood for ten minutes did not help their cause.

Harefield clinched the game with a third goal on 79 minutes as Pacquette met a corner at the near post with a glancing header into the far corner of the net, and just as in the first half they followed it with another goal three minutes later as Lenny Farhall was put through to slot past Connolly.

Leverstock’s final group game is away to London Lions in two weeks. They still have a mathematical chance of finishing in the top two, but they require the results of next weekend’s two group games to go their way.