Match Report

Leverstock Green’s under-18s had done very well to get to the Third Round Qualifying of the FA Youth Cup, but on Thursday night they came up against a top side in Maidenhead United and a striker in irresistible form. Brad Farren scored six of Maidenhead’s eight goals as they progressed comfortably to the First Round proper.

Maidenhead could have taken the lead in the 8th minute through some poor Leverstock defending, but James Henry’s shot hit the post. On 14 minutes though, a cross from the left was met with a thumping header from Farren for the first of his goals. The second came five minutes later, another header from a cross from the right. On 27 minutes Farren found the space on the edge of the box to shoot home the third goal and complete his first hat-trick, and three minutes before half time Farren found the net again from close range.

Farren’s fifth and sixth goals came on 48 and 51 minutes, and there could have been a seventh two minutes later when he took the ball round Green keeper Tom Palmer, but Kane O’Neil cleared off the line, and Farren had just the six goals when he was substituted after an hour.

The closest that Leverstock came to a consolation goal was on 74 minutes when Paplamin Jawara’s free kick was tipped over the bar, and three minutes later Lewis Pegg added a 7th goal for Maidenhead. Soon after that the game had a long stoppage when Green defender O’Neil went down with an ankle injury that required an ambulance to be called. The ambulance arrived promptly, and the game was able to be completed, with Reece Smith adding an 8th goal for Maidenhead.

Starting XI:
Tom Palmer
Kane O’Neil
Charlie Milton
Santino Diniro
Lucas Preston
Max Jessop
Byron Lee-Clarke
Paplamin Jawara
Deandre Blake
Lewis Collins
Alec Wallace
Subs used:
Adam Froom
Ben Harris
George Piekarczyk