Match Report

Leverstock Green ended 2016 with only their second draw of the season as they fought back from 3-1 down to claim a point at Broxbourne Borough in their Xmas Bank Holiday game. It was a game that they should have taken all three points from, but having fallen two goals behind against the run of play the side showed character to ensure they came away with something.

The first near-miss of the game came in the 13th minute as Tremayne Charles played a one-two with Lewis Bowers before hitting a shot with the outside of the boot that keeper Graham Loki did well to turn round the post. Four minutes later the home side should have taken the lead when a cross found Jamie Brandon all alone at the far post, but his header was cleared off the line by Curtis Donaldson. Leverstock then broke quickly, with Danilson Vicente and Donaldson setting up a shot for Charles which went over the bar. It was Broxbourne who opened the scoring in the 23rd minute from a break down the right where Brandon fed Tobi Omotosho, who crossed for Yemi Buraimoh to finish from close range.

Having started the game with an experimental formation, Leverstock reverted to a 4-4-2 and finished the half strongly. On 34 minutes Loki failed to deal with a cross into the six yard box, and in the ensuing goalmouth scramble Donaldson went close before Vicente finally applied the decisive touch to level the scores at 1-1.

On 41 minutes a great pass from Vicente put Jonathan Lacey through on goal, but Loki did well to save his shot. A minute before the break a Leverstock corner caused another scramble in the Broxbourne box, and George Biggadike connected with a rasping shot but it was somehow cleared off the line. The ensuing corner produced another near-miss as Lacey hit a shot inches wide.

The scores were level at 1-1 at the break, and Lacey had another good chance within 15 seconds of the restart but was denied by Loki again. The opening 20 minutes of the half were very much dominated by Leverstock as they continually pushed forward, but some poor decision making with the final ball meant that they did not create the chances their play merited.

The Green side then paid the price for not having made the best of their possession, as Broxbourne struck twice within five minutes very much against the run of play. On 64 minutes Omotosho was allowed the time and space on the edge of the box to work the ball onto his right foot and drill a shot into the corner of Mark Berg’s net. Four minutes later Buraimoh found himself in acres of space inside the Green half to deliver a ball into the box, and a missed defensive header allowed Robbie Carroll the chance to shoot home a third Broxbourne goal.

However, the Leverstock side kept pushing forward, and got back into the game through a stunning strike on 76 minutes. Vicente received the ball on the left edge of the penalty area and hit a spectacular dipping volley that flew way over Loki into the top corner of the net. Five minutes later Donaldson delivered a superb cross from the left touchline to find Lacey inside the box, and this time the youngster slipped a low shot which squirmed under Loki’s body into the net to level the scores at 3-3 with his 15th goal of the season.

The game could have gone either way from there, although it was Leverstock who came closest to winning with what would have been the last kick of the game, as Lacey set up Donaldson with a shot which went just over the angle of post and bar. The point moves Leverstock up to 9th in the Premier Division table, and their next match is at home to runaway leaders London Colney on Monday 2nd January.