Match Report

Leverstock Green turned in a performance that was something of a disappointment after the previous week’s display, and they ended up on the losing side having been second best to a good Cockfosters side all afternoon.

Paul Hunt was missing key members of his back four, including skipper Shane Wood, Brima Johnson and George Biggadike, and it was a couple of mistakes at the back that cost them two goals from corners, although in truth the Green side produced little at the other end to threaten the Cockfosters keeper. Two new signings from Northwood, defender Rowland Smith and forward Issouf Coulibally made their debuts.

There was little in the way of chances at either end before Cockfosters took the lead in the 22nd minute. As a corner was driven into the six-yard box, Carl Resch came in unchallenged and clipped a low shot through a crowd of players into the net.

Cockfosters might have had a second goal on 38 minutes when Emmanuel Melford-Rowe went through two Leverstock tackles far too easily on a run at goal, but his shot was hit straight at Liam Jahn. Leverstock’s best moment of the first half came in the last minute when Zak Howells made a good run to the bye-line and pulled the ball back for Curtis Donaldson, but he shot over the bar.

The visitors had another great chance to double their lead with little more than a minute played in the second half as Jerry Maja ran onto a pass from Cameron Ferguson and took the ball past Jahn, but his shot was blocked by a Leverstock defender. Maja was denied again two minutes later when Joel Williams blocked his shot, and on 52 minutes a header from Melford-Rowe was cleared off the line by Jonathan Lacey.

At the other end six minutes later Lacey produced a dangerous ball across goal which had to be cleared by Melford-Rowe, and soon after Donaldson floated a good free kick to the far post but Lewis Bowers headed over the bar amid claims for a corner that wasn’t given.

Cockfosters finally added their second goal on 66 minutes in similar fashion to the first goal, with a corner dropping down to Maja, who again shot through a crowd of players with little challenge.

For the last five minutes Cockfosters played with ten men, having suffered an injury after using all three subs, but they were denied a third goal in the last minute as Jahn pulled off a great save to deny Ramone Cassidy-Sinclair. Deep into stoppage time Leverstock pulled a goal back as Lewis Bowers hit a shot which went in off the far post, but it was little more than a consolation and in truth made the game look closer than it actually was.

Next Saturday Leverstock travel to Edgware Town for a league match.