Match Report

Leverstock Green gained their second win of the week with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Wembley in Saturday’s SSML Premier Division game at Pancake Lane. Wembley were in the bottom three at start of play but kept the Leverstock defence busy with a lot of attacking play. Heavy rain before the game and throughout the second half made for difficult slippery conditions for both sides.

An injury during the warm-up led to a late enforced change as Brima Johnson came in for Casey Linsell. Leverstock had a sight of goal within the opening 20 seconds as Marcus Campbell worked the space for a shot from the edge of the box, but Wembley keeper Montel Joseph grabbed it out of the air. The opening goal came in the 8th minute. After some neat passing play, Luke Nugent took the ball on and hit a shot from the edge of the box which Joseph should have dealt with, but the keeper spilled the ball and Sam Nair had a simple tap-in from close range to put the Green into a 1-0 lead.

There was almost a second goal within two minutes as Johnson took on a defender on the edge of the box and hit a shot which Joseph had to dive down low to stop near the post. Wembley pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but good work at the centre of defence from Alex Condon and Ethan Flanagan kept them out. Flanagan went close to adding a second goal in the 28th minute when he got on the end of a free kick from Nair, but his header went just wide. Wembley’s best chance of the half came in the 37th minute as Alesandro Puerini turned and shot from the edge of the six-yard box, but Rob Partington saved. Four minutes later a pass from Mark Smith put Nair through, but his shot went wide as Joseph came racing out of his goal.

After a rain-free first half, the heavens opened again at half time and continued throughout the second half. Within five minutes of the restart Wembley were reduced to ten men as Hani Berchiche was shown a straight red card for a dangerous tackle. Despite their reduced ranks, and now playing up the slope, Wembley continued to have more of the attacking play. They finally got their equaliser in the 64th minute. Wayne Walters was allowed to run unchallenged into the Leverstock half and play a pass through to substitute Zaied Sabti, who slotted the ball past Partington to level the scores at 1-1.

However, parity only lasted for four minutes. Leverstock won a corner, which was taken by Nair. The cross was headed away, but only back to Nair, who crossed it in again, and this time it found its way to the far post where Alex Condon stabbed the ball home to put Leverstock back in front at 2-1.

There were few chances as conditions became ever more difficult towards the end of the game. Condon came closest to adding a third Leverstock goal two minutes from time when he won the ball and ran on to hit a shot just wide. Leverstock were content to see the game out, but there was still time for a couple of ugly incidents in stoppage time which saw three Leverstock players amongst four players booked. Eventually the referee blew the final whistle and Leverstock had their three points.

Next up for Leverstock is the rearranged Buildbase FA Vase Second Round tie away to Enfield, which is being played on Tuesday night at Harlow Town F.C.