Match Report

Leverstock Green cruised into the second round of the Buildbase FA Vase as they put seven goals past United Counties League Division One side Thrapston Town in Saturday’s first round tie in Northamptonshire. Some late defensive lapses made the game look closer than it was, but overall this was a convincing win by Scott Dash’s side.

The Green side made a bright start to the game, with Ross Adams shooting over the bar in the 2nd minute. The opening goal came in the 10th minute, as George Biggadike played a great ball from the right touchline into the path of Curtis Donaldson, who ran on to take the ball past keeper Dominic Whitehouse before slotting the ball into the empty net.

In the 20th minute Karl Davidson’s shot from a narrow angle was turned round the post by Whitehouse. From the resulting corner Shane Wood’s header looked to be goalbound but a touch from Davidson put it over the bar.  However, the second goal arrived five minutes later. A pass from Lewis Bowers put Davidson through, and he pulled the ball back for Donaldson to slot home into the bottom corner for his second of the match.

Davidson was denied again by Whitehouse on 31 minutes after a ball from Donaldson had put him through, but Davidson instigated the third goal four minutes later as his clever pass put Karl Thomas away down the right. Thomas delivered a low ball into the box which Wood was all set to finish, but he didn’t get the chance as Thrapston defender Liam Carter slid in ahead of him and put the ball into his own net.

The home side made a double substitution in the 37th minute to try to stem the tide of Leverstock attacks, but there was still another goal to come before half time. In the 42nd minute a cross from Biggadike found Bowers at the far post, and his header back across goal was fired home by Ben Darby.

Leverstock continued to push forward in the second half. Five minutes in, Brima Johnson aimed a long throw towards the box and as Bowers ran for it he was felled by a push in the back. The referee pointed to the spot and Donaldson stepped up to take the penalty and complete his hat-trick.

It became 6-0 in the 63rd minute as Davidson curled over a cross to the far post where Bowers met it with a header that looped over Whitehouse into the net for a deserved goal.

The game was effectively over, but Thrapston were offered the chance of a consolation in the 67th minute when the referee awarded them a penalty for handball inside the Green box, and Chris Hope netted the kick to pull it back to 6-1.

Davidson again came close to putting his name on the scoresheet in the 77th minute as he ran onto a through ball and headed it past Whitehouse, but defender James Langin did well to scramble back and clear the ball off the line. It then became 6-2 in the 82nd minute as Dodzi Agbenu sent a lob over Liam Jahn for a second consolation goal for Thrapston.

Leverstock were still creating chances, though. In the 86th minute Bowers hit a superb half-volley from long-range which Whitehouse did very well to turn round the post. Davidson came close with both a header and a shot in stoppage time, before Hope shot home a third consolation goal for Thrapston in the third minute of stoppage time. However, it was Leverstock who had the final word, as a pass from Bowers put Jonathan Lacey through to send an exquisite chip over Whitehouse for the seventh goal with virtually the last kick of the game.

Leverstock will now hope for a good outcome from the second round draw at lunchtime on Monday. They continue with cup action on Tuesday as they host Bedford in the second round of the Challenge Trophy, kick-off 7.30 pm.

Today’s game saw the last appearance for Brima Johnson before he sets off travelling later this week. The former Sun Sports defender has been a very popular and influential member of the Leverstock squad this season and will be missed by players, officials and supporters.