Leverstock Green fell to their second narrow defeat in four days at St Margaretsbury thanks to a contentious second half penalty decision. The game itself was lively and evenly-contested, although the Green didn't create the number of chances that their possession merited.

The home side opened the game strongly and might have taken the lead early on when Anthony Anstead hit a shot across goal that went just wide of the far post. That should have been a warning to the Green defence, but in the 8th minute Anstead hit an even better shot, a thunderbolt from a narrow angle into the top corner of the net that gave Carl Tasker no chance.

It should have been 2-0 to St Margaretsbury in the 11th minute when Leigh Rose was put clean through down the middle. Rose tried to juggle the ball over Tasker but then hit his shot against the bar. Instead the scores were levelled from another great finish in the 16th minute. A long kick from Tasker was flicked on by Adam Hallissey to Louis Austin, who superbly lobbed home keeper Ashley Harris to put Leverstock back on level terms at 1-1.

The rest of the first half was played out evenly, with the Green's best moment coming in the 39th minute when Austin played the ball to Ben Butler then ran on to receive the return ball, only to hit his shot straight at Harris.

St Margaretsbury twice threatened to regain the lead in the opening moments of the second half. Anstead hit a low shot towards the corner of the net which Tasker did well to turn round the post. A few seconds later a cross to the far post which appeared to be going out of play was returned into the six-yard box where Rose had the goal at his mercy, but Tasker managed to scramble back across his goal to save Rose's shot.

The decisive moment came in the 58th minute. Anstead was threatening again on the edge of the box, but laid the ball off to Chris Bell, who hit a shot that appeared to strike Lee Bircham on the arm. Given that Bircham was only a few feet away it would have been difficult to get out of the way, but the referee indicated that Bircham's arms were raised and pointed to the penalty spot. In fact the ball struck Bircham in the face, as illustrated by the fact that the Green captain was down requiring treatment for a minute. Adam Lawton put the penalty away to put his side back into the lead at 2-1.

Leverstock never stopped trying for another equaliser, but too often their final ball was lacking. A long-range effort just over the bar from Max Farrelly in the 72nd minute was closest they came for a while.

A triple substitution fifteen minutes from time saw Paul Insley, Steve Hatch and Lewis Pritchard all come off the bench. The Green pressed hard over the closing minutes and almost saved the game in the last minute. A corner from Bircham found Hatch at the far post, and he lashed a shot from the angle of the six-yard box but Harris parried it away. A goalmouth scramble ensued as both Hatch and Bircham put the ball across goal, but it wouldn't go in the net.

Leverstock will hope to recover their winning form with a home game against Hadley this coming Saturday.