Match Report

Phil Granville’s first match in charge of Leverstock Green ended in a 3-0 defeat at Hadley. It was hardly a three-goal game, but Hadley were clinical in their finishing, and their defence was as impenetrable as it had been in the two FA Cup ties between the two sides earlier in the season.

There were two new additions to the Leverstock squad, with the signing of goalkeeper Nathan Pickworth, who has come up through MK Dons Academy and is also signed at AFC Rushden & Diamonds, and the return to the club of striker Danilson Vicente.

Hadley went in front in the 6th minute. A free kick from the right touchline was not cleared, and Nathan Linton pounced on the loose ball to hit a shot through a crowd of players that gave Pickworth no chance.

Other than that, there was little in the way of chances for either side in the early stages. Leverstock’s first effort at goal came in the 38th minute when a shot from Luke Preedy was gathered by home keeper Luke Ward. Two minutes later, though, a ferocious long-range shot from Alex Witham had Ward beaten but cracked against the crossbar. On the stroke of half time Witham battled to the bye-line and put the ball across the face of goal, but Gursewak Jagdev just failed to connect with it as he slid in.

Leverstock were rather unfortunate to be trailing as the half ended, but the second half was equally short on chances, while still being an evenly-contested game. Pickworth did well to beat away a shot from Bradley Marriott in the 66th minute, but Hadley scored a crucial second goal in the 78th minute, as Emmanuel Hammond passed to Shaz Anwar, who stroked home a low shot from the edge of the box to put his side firmly in control.

The Green side were unlucky again two minutes from time as Reynaldo Carbon hit a fine shot, but it brought a brilliant save out of Ward. That could have put Leverstock back in the game with the referee indicating six minutes of stoppage time, but in the first of those minutes Hadley made absolutely sure of the points. Mark Smith’s attempted pass upfield was cut out by Hammond, who ran clean through to slot past Pickworth for the third goal.

Having played the sides in second and third over the last two games, Leverstock entertain sixth-placed Arlesey Town in next Saturday’s SSML Premier Division fixture.