Match Report

A late equaliser from Scott Burge rescued a point for Leverstock Green as they drew 2-2 with London Colney in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division fixture at Pancake Lane. With seven first team players injured or unavailable it was a very depleted squad for today’s game, with three of the under-18 squad starting. However, the side put in a great effort in an entertaining game and deserved to get something out of it.

Leverstock had a chance in the third minute after good work from Casey Linsell and Scott Burge set up Chris Gosling to square for Brima Johnson, who turned and shot from close range, but his shot was smothered by keeper Jack Medcalf. In the 10th minute Linsell played a pass to give Burge a run at goal, but he shot wide.

In the 16th minute London Colney had a chance when Kambo Smith went on a solo run from the halfway line and was through on Mackenzie Taylor, but the young keeper did well to dive at Smith’s feet and claim the ball. Four minutes later the visitors had the ball in the net when a cross was headed home, but the referee disallowed it for pushing. In the 28th minute Leverstock also had the ball in the net as Liam McCrohan headed home Linsell’s free kick, but that one was disallowed for offside. Two minutes later there was a third disallowed goal as London Colney put the ball in the net after a save from Taylor, but the offside flag was up.

On the stroke of half time Leverstock took the lead with a spectacular goal. A throw from Luke Nugent found Ben Darby, whose crossfield pass should have been cut out by a defender, but the defender missed it and the ball ran through to Casey Linsell, who absolutely leathered a first time shot from 30 yards which flew past Medcalf and in off the post.

The visitors went close to levelling in first half stoppage time as Bobby Armstrong headed over the bar from a corner, but five minutes into the second half they finally put the ball into the net for a goal that stood. A free kick into the box was not well dealt with by the Green defence, and Kambo Smith was gifted an equaliser.

London Colney were having much the better of the second half, and went in front in the 75th minute when Anton Johnson came in at the far post to meet a cross and shoot home.

However, seven minutes from time McCrohan chased a ball down to the goal line and kept it in before pulling it back into the penalty area, where Scott Burge was on hand to shoot home the equaliser. It was a first senior goal for Burge, who is top scorer for the under-18s, and he became the first player born in the 21st century to score a first team goal for Leverstock Green.

A couple of minutes later the visitors were denied what they felt was a clear-cut penalty, but the referee saw it differently and booked their player for diving. Leverstock could then have won the game in stoppage time. Brima Johnson curled in a great ball from near the left touchline, which found substitute Jay Wilson coming in unchallenged on the overlap, but Wilson got the ball caught under his foot as he tried to slot home. Seconds later there was another chance but Chris Gosling shot over the bar.

In the end a draw was a good result, but it was a fourth draw in a run of five games without a win for Leverstock, a run which has seen them drop out of the top six. They have four games remaining to get as high a finish as possible, and they still have a trophy to play for, with a St Mary’s Cup semi-final away to Oxhey Jets on Tuesday.

Man of the Match for today’s game was shared by two under-18s, Scott Burge, who ran non-stop during the first half and got the vital equaliser, and Max Jessop, who gave an excellent performance alongside skipper Shane Wood in the centre of defence.