Match Report

Leverstock Green got their first league points and goals of the season on the board as they swept away St Margaretsbury 5-1 in Saturday’s match at Pancake Lane. 17 year old Jonathan Lacey, who had impressed in the first few friendlies before going on holiday for three weeks, returned to the side today and took little time to make his mark, scoring a first half hat-trick.

The Green side looked dangerous from the start, and should have been in front in the 3rd minute, Lewis Bowers putting the ball over the bar from close range after Brima Johnson’s shot had been blocked on the line. Three minutes later Lacey was put clear, but his shot was saved by keeper Michael Corderoy, who also stopped the follow-up effort from Aaron Lewis. Finally in the 10th minute Ben Butler played a sideways ball to Lacey, who drilled home a shot from the edge of the box to give Leverstock a deserved lead.

Liam Jahn had little to do in the first half, but in the 12th minute had to dive to keep out a shot from George Beattie which was heading for the bottom corner. In the 16th minute Leverstock doubled their lead as Curtis Donaldson threaded a great pass through to Aaron Lewis, who neatly slotted home his first goal for the club.

It was 3-0 in the 23rd minute with Lewis the creator this time, as he played a square ball across the box which Corderoy failed to cut out, and Lacey pounced to smash home his second of the game. The best was yet to come from Lacey, though. In the 38th minute Donaldson’s corner was headed away, but only as far as Lacey, who watched the ball as it took an age to come down and connected with the sweetest of volleys from 20 yards which flew into the top corner to complete his hat-trick, giving Corderoy no chance.

Ben Butler came close to adding a fifth goal just before the break but his shot from distance was just wide. Leverstock continued to push forward in the second half. In the 48th minute Lewis was clean through but Corderoy saved with his boot. Ten minutes later a shot from Donaldson was deflected onto the bar after a Lacey corner hadn’t been cleared.

The visitors pulled a goal back in the 68th minute when Courtney Clay hit a shot from the edge of the box through a crowd of players, but this was not to be the start of an unlikely comeback. Two minutes later Donaldson hit a shot into the side netting, and on 74 minutes Donaldson ran onto a long kick from Jahn but hit his shot across goal and wide. Finally on 77 minutes Donaldson got onto the scoresheet as Ashley Addison put him through to slot home Leverstock’s 5th goal.

Two minutes from time a shot from Shaun Owens was deflected wide, and from the resulting corner Lewis Bowers was denied a deserved goal as his header was brilliantly saved by Corderoy. Despite not scoring, Bowers was named Man of the Match for his performance in leading the line, winning countless headers and flicks and working tirelessly throughout the game.

Green manager Paul Hunt was delighted with his side’s display, having felt that they didn’t get their reward for good performances in the previous two games: “Everything just clicked today, and we were unstoppable in the first half”.

Next up is the visit of Cockfosters to Pancake Lane for a league match next Saturday.