Match Report

Leverstock Green had hoped that the visit of bottom club Stotfold would enable them to add to their points tally, but it proved not to be as a goal 15 minutes from time was enough for the visitors to claim the three points. On the balance of play and number of chances created, Stotfold certainly deserved their win. Three players were red carded as tempers boiled over in the last few minutes.

Stotfold’s first chance came in the 5th minute when Charlie Cullen blocked a clearance from Green keeper Ryan Schmid, but he shot wide of the target. Leverstock’s first attempt on goal was in the 11th minute when Kane O’Neil went on a run and squared the ball for Luke Preedy, who shot over the bar.

The Green skipper Shane Wood continues to be plagued by injuries, and had to leave this game after just 19 minutes, to be replaced by Jamie Fulton. Leverstock’s main source of attacks were the long goal kicks of Schmid, but Stotfold keeper Tyla Dickinson dealt with them well under pressure from the onrushing Preedy.

There was little in the way of further chances until the last minute of the half. A pass from Kerran Lataille found Preedy all alone out wide, and Preedy headed for goal and got a shot away, but it was comfortably fielded by Dickinson. Three minutes into stoppage time Stotfold went close as a shot from Zachery Decker went just wide of the post.

The early stages of the second half belonged to Stotfold. On 48 minutes Kai McArthur shot just over the bar, and four minutes later Eben Mbona struck the bar with a free kick from distance. A minute later Schmid parried away an effort by Jermaine Francis and a rebound effort went over the bar. Leverstock’s best moment of the half came in the 63rd minute when a cross from Harry Barrett found O’Neil at the far post, but his header went over the bar.

The game was still goalless with 15 minutes to go when Stotfold made their final substitution, bringing on Ryan McEvoy, and just seconds after coming onto the pitch McEvoy got in behind the Green defence to shoot past Schmid and put his side into the lead.

Leverstock pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but were still unable to find the necessary quality to create a clear-cut chance. In the last minute of the 90 they were reduced to ten men. Mark Smith had already been booked for an earlier foul, and an incident at a free kick saw him get a second yellow and a red card. In the last of the scheduled five minutes of stoppage time Leverstock had another free kick, which was floated into the box, but Dickinson did well to claim the ball. However, there were some afters involving players of both sides, and two red cards were shown for violent conduct, firstly to Stotfold’s George Ezekiel, and then to Preedy, who had been booked a couple of minutes earlier, but his dismissal was a straight red.

After today’s disappointing result, the Green side now face a tough run of games, with two of the next three being against title favourites Biggleswade F.C. The first of those is at Pancake Lane this coming Tuesday night.