Match Report

Leverstock Green had to settle for a point from Saturday’s SSML Premier Division game against Crawley Green although they had enough chances to have won it comfortably. Having said that, the game could have gone either way with the visitors also missing a penalty. It was a much better performance from the Leverstock team than last week’s insipid display against London Tigers.

Crawley Green made the better start to the game and could have gone in front on 13 minutes when Tyler Ingram threaded a pass through to Phil Draycott, but Arvydas Kacinkevicius saved Draycott’s shot with his leg. However on 19 minutes Draycott was on hand to finish a cross from close range to put his side into a 1-0 lead.

On 23 minutes Leverstock won a free kick in a dangerous position, and with usual free kick taker Chris Blunden serving a one-game suspension, Jonathan Lacey had a go at curling one over the wall, but it was comfortably saved by visiting keeper Danzell St Louis-Hamilton. However, a minute later Lacey came in from a narrow angle and hit a shot which the keeper should have gathered easily, but the ball slipped out of his hands, and Reynaldo Carbon put away the loose ball to level the scores at 1-1.

For the remainder of the half Leverstock had much the better of things. On 29 minutes Lacey and Luke Preedy combined to put Carbon through on the keeper, but he pulled his shot just wide of the far post. Five minutes later a pass from Luke Nugent gave Lacey the chance to go clean through, but he hit his eventual shot inches over the bar. There was another good chance three minutes before the break when a deflected pass from Lacey put Carbon in again. This time Carbon’s shot was on target but St Louis-Hamilton got a hand to it to turn it round the post.

Three minutes into the second half it was the visitors turn to miss a golden opportunity. Draycott made a run into the box and was brought down by a Leverstock defender. It looked like a harsh decision, but the referee awarded the penalty. However, Danny Watson’s spot kick brought a save out of Kacinkevicius to keep the scores at 1-1.

Leverstock then had more chances to get their noses in front. On 65 minutes a pass from Mark Smith put Alex Yearwood in behind the defence, but again they were denied as St Louis-Hamilton turned Yearwood’s shot into the side netting. Two minutes later Yearwood was denied by another save from the keeper following a build-up involving Preedy, Carbon and Smith. On 74 minutes Leverstock had another free kick in a good position just outside the box. Carbon tried his luck this time, but St Louis-Hamilton turned it round the post.

Two minutes later it was Crawley that went close as Billy Lobjoit put the ball across the face of goal and just wide. Seconds later at the other end Lacey exchanged passes with Carbon to go clean through, but his shot went across the face of goal and just wide.

There was another flurry of chances late in the game. Two minutes from time a corner from Casey Linsell was headed off the line at the far post. A minute later Nugent played a great ball down the line to give Alex Witham a run at goal, but his intended square ball to Carbon was cut out by a defender when going directly for goal may have been the better option. In stoppage time a shot from Witham brought another great save out of St Louis-Hamilton, and when the ball was put back into the six-yard box Lacey looked set to score but the keeper dived at his feet to claim the ball. There was still time for Crawley to miss a chance of their own, with Mark Bunker putting the ball over the bar seconds before the referee blew for full time.

The result leaves Leverstock still in the bottom half of the table, although still with games in hand on most of the sides above them. This week sees them return to cup action, with a visit to Unite MK on Wednesday night in the first round of the Challenge Trophy followed by Sunday’s trip to the Harlow Arena to face to Enfield F.C. in the second round of the Buildbase FA Vase.