Match Report

Leverstock Green’s young side received a footballing lesson as they were sent crashing from the Premier Division Cup by a very strong Welwyn Garden City side. The visitors are one of the favourites for the SSML Premier Division title this season, and it is easy to see why. The Green side were competitive for some spells of the game, but Welwyn’s classy football and clinical finishing saw them come out easily on top.

It was Leverstock who had the first chance of the match in the 14th minute. A pass from Chris Marsh allowed Matt Bateman to outrun the Welwyn defence, but his eventual shot was across goal and just wide. Jon Clements brought the first save from Green keeper Caolan Doyle-Creamer with a shot in the 19th minute. Doyle-Creamer produced a great double save in the 22nd minute to keep out a shot and a follow-up effort from point-blank range, however in the 27th minute Clements got on the end of a cross from George Ironton with a header that looped over Doyle-Creamer into the net to put Welwyn into a 1-0 lead.

There was another chance for Leverstock in the 40th minute when Bateman slipped a pass through to David Lawrence, but visiting keeper Charlie May came off his line to save with his feet. Leverstock were still in the game at this stage, but a second goal from Clements, who ran past several defenders before shooting home a minute before half time, put the visitors firmly in control at the break.

Josh Bronti added the third goal for Welwyn in the 52nd minute with a shot from the edge of the box that beat Doyle-Creamer at his near post, and Clements completed his hat-trick in the 66th minute as he outpaced the defence before slotting home a low shot. There was almost a consolation goal for Leverstock in the 69th minute when two substitutes combined as Mason Tunbridge set up Sam Nair with a shot that went just wide.

Welwyn substitute Ash Kersey made it 5-0 in the 79th minute, flicking the ball over the head of a Green defender before running clean through to slot home. Kersey could have had a second goal three minutes later in very similar fashion but his shot hit the post, and in the 85th minute Kersey was denied again as his shot was tipped over the bar by Doyle-Creamer. In the first minute of stoppage time Paul Marks bundled home the 6th Welwyn goal from close range.

Leverstock can now turn their attention back to the search for crucial league points, starting this Saturday when they are at home to Oxhey Jets.