Match Report

Leverstock Green bounced back from last week’s defeat at Biggleswade United with a 3-1 win against a battling Holmer Green side in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division game at Watchet Lane.

Leverstock made a good start to the match, with a pass from Ross Adams putting Matt Bateman through on goal in the 2nd minute, but home keeper Matt Hill came out to smother Bateman’s shot. Leverstock keeper Matt Evans had to make a save in the 7th minute from a Wade Holland shot through a crowd of players that took a deflection.

Another Adams pass put Reynaldo Carbon through on goal in the 10th minute, but Hill saved again, and it was a pass from Adams in the 23rd minute that put Bateman through again, this time to sidestep Hill and slot the ball home for an excellent finish and a 1-0 Leverstock lead.

However, the lead only lasted for nine minutes, as Holmer equalised in the 32nd minute with James Britnell left unmarked to head home a free kick. Bateman headed just over from a Chris Marsh free kick in the 38th minute, and two minutes later Alex Marsh tried to square for Bateman when it would have been easier to shoot at the empty net himself.

The second half started with the scores still level at 1-1, and Leverstock continued to enjoy more possession without forcing Hill to make any saves. A Chris Marsh free kick on the hour which went right across the face of goal and just eluded the head of Bateman was the closest they came. Holmer might have taken the lead five minutes later when Britnell got on the end of a corner with a header that just glanced wide of the far post.

Leverstock continued to push forward and finally got their reward in the 76th minute. Reynaldo Carbon received a pass from Alex Marsh and initially seemed to have lost the ball to a defender, but Carbon battled on and won the ball back, eventually forcing a shot home from a narrow angle for a 2-1 lead.

Another run from Carbon two minutes later created another chance, but substitute Jay Wilson couldn’t quite get his shot away. A minute later a pass from Chris Marsh put Bateman through again, but his attempted lob over Hill didn’t get high enough and the keeper grabbed it out of the air. The third Leverstock goal eventually arrived in the 86th minute as substitute Martin Garvey, who had only been on the pitch for five minutes, blasted home a shot from inside the box to notch his first goal for the club.

A minute later Evans produced a great save to turn a shot from Blackman round the post to preserve the two-goal lead, and Leverstock held on for a hard-won three points, which moves them up to fourth place in the SSML Premier Division, with a home derby against unbeaten league leaders Berkhamsted coming up next Saturday.