Match Report

Leverstock Green’s push for a top 4 place suffered a setback as they were beaten 3-1 at Edgware Town in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division fixture. It was an evenly-contested game, but Edgware made the most of their chances while the Green side didn’t.

There was a blow for the Leverstock team before the match when skipper Shane Wood had to drop down to the bench due to a niggling knee injury being aggravated by the artificial surface at Silver Jubilee Park. Wood’s place was taken by Liam McCrohan, who himself was still getting over a knee injury and only lasted half the game.

There was almost a great start to the game for Leverstock as Jack Waldren curled in a cross to the far post for Matt Bateman, whose header hit the post with just 30 seconds on the clock. Leverstock dominated the early stages of the game, however it was Edgware who took the lead from their first real attack in the 9th minute, as Dan Pett hit a shot which beat Matt Evans and went in off the underside of the bar.

Leverstock had a chance for an equaliser in the 14th minute when Luke Marsh’s cross found Bateman at the far post. Bateman could have hit the shot first time, but chose to take a touch, which allowed keeper Cain Davies to get in a great challenge with his feet.

A stray pass on the halfway line led to Edgware’s second goal in the 21st minute as Steven Benevides intercepted and broke forward before laying off to set up Ryan Carruthers for a shot past Evans. Things got worse in the 34th minute as a missed challenge on the halfway line allowed Rio Beech to thread the ball through to Omololu Onabolu, whose shot seemed to take a deflection as Evans was wrongfooted as it went into the net for a third Edgware goal.

Leverstock needed a goal back quickly, and they got it three minutes later through a mistake at the other end. A poorly-taken Edgware free kick led to a Leverstock break and a foul on Bateman on the left edge of the Edgware box. Curtis Donaldson curled in the resulting free kick and Ross Adams headed home to reduce the arrears to 3-1.
Edgware had another chance in the 40th minute as two Green defenders collided with each other trying a cut out a long goal kick from Davies, leaving Ethan Mooney through, but he shot over the bar. Two minutes before the break Bateman had another chance when Adams flicked the ball through to him, but Davies saved his shot.

Bateman had another shot blocked in the opening minute of the second half, and in the 53rd minute Donaldson floated a free kick just wide of the far post. In the 62nd minute Donaldson burst through the middle and had only Davies to beat, but again the Edgware keeper produced a good save. On 71 minutes Leverstock had a free kick in a dangerous position just outside the box, but Donaldson’s effort took a deflection off a defender and went inches over the bar.

The second half was all Leverstock as Edgware were content to sit back on their lead, but the Green side were not able to create enough chances to get back into the game, and in the end the home side held out comfortably for the win.

Leverstock now face two games in five days against Colney Heath, firstly at home on Tuesday night, and then away next Saturday.