Match Report

Leverstock Green threw away two points as a late lapse in concentration saw them squander a two-goal lead in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division game at Colney Heath. With five minutes remaining the Green were deservedly 2-0 up and cruising, but two goals from the home side in little over a minute erased their advantage.

The first half saw the Leverstock side play their best football of the season so far. After a series of promising build-ups they finally took the lead in the 24th minute. The move started with a great ball from Luke Preedy to give Tom Silford a run at goal. Silford cut inside and laid off across goal to set up Chris Blunden, who was blocked before he could get a shot away. The loose ball was picked up by Alex Witham, who hit a shot towards the far post that was blocked, but Jonathan Lacey pounced on the rebound and blasted the ball home to open the scoring.

It was almost 2-0 on 35 minutes when Alex Condon got on the end of a Lacey corner with a header that hit the post and rebounded onto a defender on the line, but fortunately for the home side bounced away from goal. A minute later a pass from Silford put Witham through to hit a shot that went across goal and just wide. In the 40th minute Lacey’s pass put Silford through, but keeper Charlie May did well to turn Silford’s shot round the post. It was a half that Leverstock dominated, but they came in with just a slender 1-0 lead.

They continued to play well in the second half and created more chances. In the 48th minute Lacey went on a solo run past several defenders into the box before having his shot parried by May, but neither Blunden nor Witham could make the most of the rebound. Four minutes later Blunden was through on May and tried to take the ball round the keeper but was forced wide, and his cross back into the box was headed wide by Silford.

The home side should have equalised on 55 minutes when Charlie Hunter’s free kick found Spencer Clarke-Mardle at the far post with a free header, but the Colney skipper headed wide. Things got worse for Clarke-Mardle in the 64th minute when his mistimed tackle brought down Silford in the box. The referee pointed straight to the spot, and despite May getting a hand to it, Lacey’s spot kick put Leverstock into a 2-0 lead.

There was another chance four minutes later when Witham ran onto a pass from Lacey and sent over a cross that just eluded Blunden. Leverstock seemed to be comfortable with their 2-0 lead, but there was a warning in the 79th minute when Clarke-Mardle was through, and Arvydas Kacinkevicius had to save with his legs. There were just over five minutes left when a mistake by Jude Bell near the right touchline allowed Harvey Scott to break clear down the line. Scott ran on to square across goal where Clarke-Mardle came in to finish from close range and put his side back in the game.

The Colney side was fired up now, and little over a minute after the first goal, a cross from the right found Carl Carr free in the box to nod the ball down for Scott to shoot home the equaliser. The game became increasingly feisty over the closing minutes, especially when the referee stopped the game to allow Silford to receive treatment when Colney had a break on. There were no further goals, though, and both sides had to settle for a point each.

The result leaves Leverstock still looking for their first league win after three games, although all three have been away from home, and their next league game is not for at least another three weeks.  Before that they have cup action to focus on, with an away tie at Harpenden Town next Saturday in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup.