Match Report

Leverstock Green moved up a further three places in the SSML Premier Division as they registered their third league win in a row on Tuesday night. They dominated the game against Tring Athletic throughout, but a late goal for Tring made for a more nervy finish than it should have been.

There was another new signing in the Leverstock side this evening, as left-back Chinua Cole made his debut. The 23-year old has an impressive CV and has previously been with Torquay United, Hampton & Richmond and Eastleigh this season.

Leverstock were looking the better side from the start, and they almost went in front in the 9th minute when Chris Marsh got on the end of a cross from Ross Adams with a header that brought a good save out of Tring keeper Jack Hopwood. However, from the resulting corner Marsh curled the ball into the six-yard box where skipper Shane Wood came diving in with a bullet header to put his side 1-0 up.

Marsh delivered another great cross from a free kick in the 21st minute which found David Lawrence, but his effort deflected wide off a defender. A minute later there was another free kick and another great delivery from Marsh which just eluded Wood as he dived in at the far post. In the 30th minute a pass from Cole put Matt Bateman through on goal, but his shot went across goal and wide. Three minutes later Marsh curled a free kick just wide, and in the 40th minute Marsh played a superb pass to put Adams through, but as Adams tried to take the ball round Hopwood, the keeper snatched the ball from his feet. Tring produced little in the first half, with only a shot from former Green striker Chris Blunden bringing a save out of Reuben Rabstein in the 31st minute.

The second half continued with Leverstock on top. In the 48th minute Marsh robbed a defender and ran at goal, but elected to lay off to Lawrence rather than shoot, and Lawrence’s attempted pass to Bateman went behind the striker. There was a let-off for Leverstock on the hour as Tring went close from a free kick. Chris Vardy’s header hit the post, and as the ball rebounded back across goal Rabstein reacted quickest to clear it. Leverstock added a deserved second goal in the 65th minute, and it was a well-worked move. Luke Nugent’s pass released Bateman to run towards the bye-line, and his low cross into the six-yard box found Chris Gosling arriving to sidefoot home his first goal for the club.

Tring went close with a couple of efforts with 15 minutes remaining, but a revival looked unlikely until three minutes from time when a free kick wasn’t cleared and Blunden slid in to score from close range and reduce the arrears to 2-1. There were now signs of panic in the Green defence, and they almost conceded an equaliser in the first minute of stoppage time when Rabstein flapped at a cross, and two Tring players somehow failed to convert the loose ball with the goal at their mercy. However, Leverstock eventually got the ball back and took it into the corners to play out time, and held out for the win.

There is no game for the Green side this Saturday, but next Wednesday night they travel to Hadley for a league match.