Match Report
Saturday 18th April 2015 Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division
Colney Heath (0) 3 Cooke 69, Ladipo 90+1, Clarke 90+8
Leverstock Green (0) 0
at The Recreation Ground

Leverstock Green were aiming for a third straight win, but were unable to keep their run going in a typical end-of-season game at Colney Heath. On a pleasant, if breezy, spring afternoon it was a game of few chances between two sides with only 14th place to play for.

The home side almost took the lead in the 2nd minute, when Ryan Wade struck an first-time dipping volley from outside the box, but Dan McNicholas did well to tip it over the bar. Leverstock frequently got themselves into good positions, but reluctance to shoot and lack of control around the box meant that Colney keeper Tom Blackman didn't have a save to make during the first half. Five minutes before the break Carl McCluskey headed off the line from a Colney Heath corner in the only other chance of the half.

The second half saw Leverstock attacking with more purpose. On 53 minutes Elias Moses made a run at the box before putting the ball across goal for Louis Bircham, but Blackman saved from close range. A minute later Luke Warner-Eley took on a defender on the edge of the box before hitting a shot just wide. On 68 minutes Warner-Eley got on the end of a chipped pass from Tommy Walsh but couldn't control it to get an effort on target.

A minute later the home side took the lead with a goal somewhat out of the blue. A free kick was floated to the far side of the penalty area, where Richard Cooke met it with a looping header that eluded McNicholas and lodged in the top corner of the net.

Leverstock continued to push forward for an equaliser, but rarely looked like scoring, and Colney made it a somewhat flattering scoreline with two further goals in a lengthy period of stoppage time added on for maintenance to a corner flag. Firstly Lanre Ladipo got in behind the defence and sent a lob over McNicholas, and later on Aaron Clarke scrambled home the third goal from a corner.

Leverstock have one remaining league game, at home to London Tigers next Saturday, but before that they host neighbours Hemel Hempstead Town in the semi-finals of the St Mary's Cup on Tuesday night.
Match Images (click on picture to see full-size)
Colney Heath: 1. Tom Blackman, 2. Ben Awad, 3. Jay Welsh, 4. Ryan Wade, 5. Glenn Draper, 6. Richard Cooke, 7. Levi Gunn (12. Courtney Lawrence 73 mins), 8. Danny Payne, 9. Aaron Clarke, 10. Matt Standen (14. Lanre Ladipo 87 mins), 11. Josh Bronti (15. Kachi Njoku 87 mins).
Leverstock Green: 1. Dan McNicholas, 2. Damien Cruickshank, 3. Gavin Smith (14. Tunde Owolabi 74 mins), 4. Liam O'Keefe, 5. Danny Arnett (15. Alfie Boswell 81 mins), 6. Luke Warner-Eley (12. Luke Preedy 70 mins), 7. Elias Moses, 8. Tommy Walsh, 9. Louis Bircham, 10. Carl McCluskey, 11. Callum Wright.