Match Report

Leverstock Green added another three points to their total with a 4-1 win from an excellent performance at Oxhey Jets in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division game at the Boundary Stadium.

The Green side made a good start to the game and went close in the 3rd minute when Jonathan Lacey got a glancing header to Casey Linsell’s cross, but it drifted just wide of the far post. A minute later Lacey robbed Oxhey skipper Sim Armstrong and played a pass through to Nick Jackson, but Jackson put his effort across goal.

Having started the game so well, it was somewhat against the run of play when Oxhey took the lead in the fifth minute from their first attack. Two of their five former Green players combined to score, as Curtis Donaldson floated a free kick to the far post where Lewis Smith headed home in off the bar.

Leverstock went close to equalising within a minute as a shot from Lacey was turned round the post by home keeper Ryan Keeley, and three minutes later Jackson’s pass put Lacey through again, but again his shot was deflected wide of the post. Finally in the 13th minute Chris Marsh played a superb pass to put Jackson through on goal, and Jackson made no mistake this time, lifting the ball over Keeley for the deserved equaliser.

Oxhey had a good chance to go back in front three minutes later when a crossfield ball put Patru Marius-Cosmin through on goal, but Green keeper Matt Evans did well to save with his legs. In the 20th minute Donaldson played in another free kick which Lewis Smith got his head to again, but this time Evans saved.

Leverstock had another great chance in the 32nd minute. Jackson won the ball near the left touchline and threaded a pass through to Lacey, whose shot was blocked by Keeley. The rebound fell nicely for Brima Johnson six yards out but his sidefooted shot went inches wide of the post. Five minutes later Evans produced the save of the match as Donaldson hit a shot from long range which took a huge deflection, but Evans did very well to dive full-length and turn it onto the post. Evans made further saves in the last minute of the half from Elijah Seymour and Chris Blunden as an end-to-end half finished with the scores level at 1-1.

Three minutes into the second half Leverstock went in front for the first time. Chris Marsh floated in a free kick which Nick Jackson got his head to, and Jackson’s header took a looping trajectory into the very top corner of the net, out of Keeley’s reach for a 2-1 lead.

Oxhey came close to an equaliser a couple of times, with Donaldson heading over the bar from Seymour’s free kick on 55 minutes and Abhushan Part shooting inches wide two minutes later. However, Leverstock opened up a two-goal lead with the crucial third goal in the 64th minute. Jonathan Lacey went on a dazzling solo run, showing great footwook to take him past two defenders and into the box. Lacey’s shot was saved by Keeley, but substitute Luke Nugent was following up and slid in to net the rebound.

In the 78th minute Nugent returned the favour, playing a pass which set up Lacey to make another mazy run into the box, and this time he emphatically lashed a shot past Keeley for a superb fourth goal. Evans made another couple of saves in the closing minutes to preserve the three goal lead as Leverstock ran out convincing 4-1 winners.

There were several outstanding performances today, including Jackson and the returning Chris Gosling, but man-of-the-match went to Lacey.