Match Report

Leverstock Green suffered their second straight defeat on a night when the ball just would not go in the net for them. They had plenty of chances to have won this game comfortably, but a combination of off-target finishing, great saves by the visiting keeper and being caught on the break for a late goal meant that they came away with nothing against the side who were bottom of the league at start of play.

After a couple of early shots over the bar from Curtis Donaldson and Lewis Bowers, Leverstock’s first near-miss came in the 25th minute when a Tigers defender flicked a Donaldson free kick just wide of his own goal. Four minutes later Ryan Luke headed over the bar from a Donaldson cross. A minute later Bradley Hedges was through on goal but Tigers keeper Ini Amagebe pulled off his first save of the night to keep his shot out.

On 35 minutes Donaldson hit a free kick into the path of Bowers, but Amagebe pulled off a superb save, diving low to his left to keep out Bowers’ shot. At the other end a minute later the visitors had their first near-miss as Sebastian Philogene shot from the edge of the box through a crowd of players just wide. Soon after a shot from Bassem Belkhir which took a deflection brought Liam Jahn’s first save of the night.

On 39 minutes a crossfield ball from Donaldson found Louis Smith, who beat a defender to go through on goal, but Amagebe kept out his shot from a narrow angle. In the last minute of the half it was Donaldson who was denied by Amagebe, as his shot which was heading for the top corner was tipped over the bar.

The chances continued to come in the second half. Two minutes into the half Hedges shot over the bar from a pass by Luke. On 59 minutes Shane Wood slid in at the far post to meet a corner, but got underneath it and somehow put the ball over the bar from a yard out. A minute later Tigers showed they were still a threat on the break as Francisco Cabila went clean through on goal but Jahn pulled off a great save.

Donaldson was denied by Amagebe again on 65 minutes as his shot was turned away for a corner, and in the 85th minute there was a rare mistake from Amagebe as he flapped at a long throw from Wood, but Donaldson put the loose ball over the bar. Two minutes later Amagebe pulled off one of his best saves of the night to keep out a fierce shot from Brima Johnson.

Seconds later, however, Tigers were on the break again. Ferdinand Aguemon made a run down the left touchline deep into the Green half before laying off to Ali Soussi, who was allowed too much time and space to run into the box. Soussi was able to pick his spot before cleverly hitting a shot just to the left of a defender’s legs, catching Jahn unsighted as the ball flew into the net.

Even then there were further chances. In the 90th minute a cross from Jonathan Lacey was headed off the line by a Tigers defender. Tigers again broke quickly and Cabila was clean through but was denied by a great tackle from Zak Howells before he could shoot. Two minutes into stoppage time Ben Darby headed wide from a Lacey cross as Leverstock still could not find the net, and London Tigers were able to celebrate their first league win of the season.

Next up for the Green is a home match against Paul Hunt’s former club Sun Sports on Saturday.