Match Report

Leverstock Green are still looking for their first league point after three games and a third 2-1 defeat. Visitors Crawley Green thoroughly deserved their win in a game that saw a very disappointing performance from the Leverstock side.

There were two more new signings in the squad, today, with Reuben Rabstein being the sixth player to feature in goal this season, and Jamie Gerrard playing up front. Gerrard had a chance of a debut goal in the 9th minute after Ross Adams puled the ball back from the bye-line, but his shot was saved by visiting keeper/manager Dean Bull. A minute later Rabstein had his first action, saving with his legs to keep out a shot from Aaron Browne.

The game had been evenly-contested in the early stages, but two quickfire goals put Crawley Green in control. In the 17th minute Charlie Clayton and Terry Billy combined on the right to send over a cross which deflected off a Leverstock defender and landed nicely for Lee Hawkes to volley home the opening goal from just inside the box. Two minutes later a long goal kick was poorly dealt with, and Martin Collins had time and space on the edge of the box to line up a curled shot into the corner of the net for a two-goal lead.

Leverstock were struggling to pass the ball around to their usual standard, and when they did get in a position to deliver a cross or a set-piece, the delivery was poor. There were a couple of chances to pull a goal back, with Luca DeMare shooting over from a pass by Ellis Routledge on 29 minutes, and Gerrard heading over the bar after Shane Wood had headed a Chris Marsh free kick back across goal on 37 minutes.

Scott Dash made a triple substitution at half time, bringing on Reece Fallon, Sam Nair and Alex McCarthy. Leverstock had more of the ball in the second half and pushed forward, but the passing and delivery still wasn’t there. Jonathan Lacey should have pulled a goal back in the 54th minute when Adams found him with a threaded pass into the box, but he shot into the side netting.

Crawley Green should have had a third goal on 74 minutes when substitute Liam Toomey had the goal at his mercy within a minute of coming off the bench, but Rabstein pulled off a great save to deflect the shot over the bar with his leg. Toomey went close again seven minutes later as he put the ball right across the face of the Leverstock goal.

Three minutes from time it became interesting when Leverstock finally pulled a goal back. Their first decent move of the game resulted in Liam McCrohan being put through to shoot home and reduce the arrears to 2-1. However, there were no further chances created and the visitors held on for their win.

In a change to the originally scheduled fixture, Leverstock are at home to Sun Sports in a league match next Saturday.